Fourth National Para-Badminton Championship Begins

Bhubaneswar: The fourth National Para-Badminton Championship was inaugurated at the  Railway Indoor Stadium here on Friday.

Over 500 plus participants are participating in the three day Championship being held under the aegis of Paralympic committee of India and Badminton Association of India.

Inaugurating the championship, Sports Minister Tusharkanti Behera said, “Our Para athletes have brought glory for India at the Tokyo Paralympics and we are proud of each one of them.”

President of Paralympic India Deepa Malik said on the occasion that, “In recent times, Odisha has set a great example by supporting various sports and taking them to new heights. In the same vein, Odisha has now come forward to host the Para-Badminton Nationals, a sport that has recently given India four Paralympic medals. The Paralympic Committee of India is proud to work with the Odisha government and the Para Sports Association of Odisha to conduct this tournament.”

Para Sports Association Odisha president Kamala Kanta Rath said, “The team has worked hard day and night to make this tournament possible and I am proud of the way we have left no stone unturned to make this event a grand success.”

Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik also felicitated the Para badminton players who won the medals at the recent Tokyo Paralympics. He congratulated them on their spectacular performance in Tokyo.