TN shuttlers claim mixed, women’s doubles titles

CHENNAI: The Yonex Sunrise All India Senior Ranking Badminton Tournament 2026 concluded successfully after eight days of high-intensity competition, bringing together some of the finest badminton players from across the country.

Tamil Nadu emerged as one of the standout performers, winning two of the five gold medals on offer by clinching the Mixed Doubles and Women’s Doubles titles. Players from Haryana, Uttarakhand, Telangana and Karnataka also delivered impressive performances, securing medals across various categories.

The championship was inaugurated on July 16 by Sports Minister Aadhav Arjuna, with Dr Anbumani Ramadoss, President of the Tamil Nadu Badminton Association (TNBA), presiding. The prize distribution ceremony was graced by Dr Ashok Sigamani, former TNCA president, who presented the trophies and medals to the winners. The tournament also witnessed several unexpected results. Tamil Nadu’s mixed doubles star Sathish Kumar Karunakaran suffered a quarterfinal defeat to an unseeded pair from Kerala. In contrast, the state’s top-seeded Men’s Doubles pair, Prejan and Nishanth, narrowly missed out on a podium finish. In the women’s singles category, SR Diksha, the reigning Asian Under-17 Champion, and Sadhana Fenelon were unable to progress deep.

Despite these setbacks, Tamil Nadu once again reaffirmed its dominance in the doubles events.

The championship also missed the presence of two of Tamil Nadu’s leading shuttlers — Rithvik Sanjeevi, the reigning men’s national champion, and Sankar Muthusamy, former World Junior No 1 — both of whom were unavailable due to international tournament commitments.