New Delhi: Petroleum Sports Promotion Board opened their bid for a 14th consecutive title double at the ATS inter-state badminton championships on a winning note, reaching the finals of both men's and women's team events at the Siri Fort Stadium here on Wednesday .
The absence of their icon players, Saina Nehwal and Parupalli Kashyap, hardly troubled PSPB as fast emerging shutttlers Sourabh Varma and K. Srikanth took the charge in the men’s section (Rahimtoola Cup), while world championships bronze medallist P.V.
Sindhu gave her team a rousing start in the Chadha Cup.
PSPB will now meet Air India, led by Anand Pawar and defending champion Sayali Gokhale, in both finals on Thursday.
Former champion Sindhu started PSPB’s proceedings with a 21-19, 21-15 demolition of Maharashtra’s Neha Pandit, before she combined with P.C. Thulasi to bring to her side a 2-0 win.
Continuing in same vein, Sindhu beat J.K. Malvika of Kerala 21-10, 21-12, even as Jwala Gutta and Ashwini Ponnappa crushed Farha Mather and K. P. Sruthi 21-9, 21-18
to lead PSPB into the Chadha Cup final.
Meanwhile, Sourabh had to overcome his younger brother Sameer Verma, representing Madhya Pradesh, 21-16, 21-13 to give PSPB a flying start in the Rahimtoola Cup. Thailand GP Gold winner Srikanth took advantage of a good start, to beat Aazad Yadav 21-9, 21-17, before top seeds Arun Vishnu and Tarun K. wrapped up the issue in PSPB’s favour.
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