M Raghu and Devika Sihag emerged victorious in the men’s and women’s singles finals, respectively, at the senior National Badminton Championships 2024, held in Bengaluru. The thrilling competition concluded on Tuesday with a series of closely contested matches across categories.
M Raghu displayed exceptional resilience in the men’s singles final, saving three match points to defeat former champion Mithun Manjunath in a nail-biting contest. The Karnataka shuttler claimed his first national title with a 14-21, 21-14, 24-22 victory in a match that lasted just under an hour.
Raghu’s path to the title was marked by stunning upsets. He overcame top seed Sathish Kumar in the semi-finals and outplayed Rithvik Sanjeevi in the quarters. Sanjeevi had earlier ended defending champion Chirag Sen’s campaign in the third round.
In the final, Mithun started strong, taking the first game convincingly. However, Raghu responded emphatically in the second game to force a decider. His composure at the net proved decisive as he staged a remarkable comeback from 15-19 down in the third game to clinch the title.
In the women’s singles final, Devika Sihag secured her maiden national crown with a commanding 21-15, 21-16 victory over Shriyanshi Valishetty. Sihag controlled the match from start to finish, nullifying Valishetty’s momentum after a series of giant-killing performances.
Valishetty, the 12th seed, had stunned defending champion Anmol Kharb in the pre-quarterfinals and defeated Tasnim Mir in the quarterfinals. However, the 13th-seeded Sihag proved too strong, ensuring a straightforward victory in the championship match.
In the men’s doubles, junior national champions Arsh Mohammad and Sanskar Saraswat added another accolade to their collection by defeating top seeds Naveen P and Lokesh V in a hard-fought 12-21, 21-12, 19-21 final.
The mixed doubles crown went to Ayush Agarwal and Shruti Mishra, while the women’s doubles title was claimed by Arathi Sara Sunil and Varshini VS, who showcased excellent coordination and tactical play throughout the tournament.
Winners List: National Badminton Championships 2024
– Men’s Singles: M Raghu
– Women’s Singles: Devika Sihag
– Men’s Doubles: Sanskar Saraswat and Arsh Mohammad
– Women’s Doubles: Arathi Sara Sunil and Varshini VS
– Mixed Doubles: Ayush Agarwal and Shruti Mishra
