National Games 2023: Anupama Upadhyaya, M Tharun win men's, women's badminton titles

Karnataka pairs won the doubles titles while Andhra Pradesh duo clinched the mixed doubles title.

Telangana’s M. Tharun and Haryana’s Anupama Upadhyaya registered contrasting victories to claim the men's and women's singles badminton titles at the 37th National Games held at the Dr. Shyama Prasad Mukherjee Stadium on Tuesday.

In the men's singles final, Tharun defeated the experienced Sourabh Varma with scores of 21-15, 16-21, 21-15 in an exciting match that lasted 1 hour and 10 minutes, earning Tharun his first National Games gold.

Meanwhile, Anupama Upadhyaya, the national champion, showcased her dominance in the domestic circuit by defeating Aditi Bhatt from Uttarakhand with scores of 21-13, 21-18.

In the doubles category, Karnataka pairs secured victories in both men's and women's doubles, adding to the state's success in the medal standings with three gold and two bronze medals from the event. In women's doubles, top-seeded Shikha Gautam and Ashwini Bhat defeated Maharashtra's Ritika Thaker and Simran Singhi with scores of 21-11, 21-18.

In the men's doubles final, the combination of HV Sunil and K Pruthvi Roy upset top-seeds Hariharan Amsakarunan and R Ruban Kumar of Tamil Nadu with scores of 15-21, 21-18, 21-18.

The mixed doubles title went to the Andhra Pradesh duo of Gouse Shaikh and D. Pooja, who secured a 21-8, 21-17 victory over top seeds Navaneeth Bokka and K Maneesha.

Tharun, who had previously defeated the second seed and national champion M. Mithun in the semi-finals, employed an aggressive strategy from the beginning, focusing on powerful smashes. This approach worked well as he established a 12-8 lead.

While Varma narrowed the gap to 16-15, Tharun clinched the next five points to secure the game. In the final game, Tharun maintained his aggressive approach and induced errors from Varma, ultimately winning the title.

"My plan was simply to play to my strengths and keep the pressure on Sourabh. I am delighted that it worked perfectly today," said Tharun after the match.

In other sports news, Haryana's men's netball team reached the finals with a hard-fought 60-58 victory over Delhi. They will face Kerala in the final, who defeated Jammu and Kashmir 59-41.

In Navelim, Services Sports Control Board and Tamil Nadu advanced to the men's basketball 5x5 semi-finals from Pool B after winning their respective matches. Services defeated Rajasthan 81-60, while Tamil Nadu triumphed over Kerala 82-46.

In the women's basketball section, Maharashtra kept their semi-final hopes alive with a 77-48 victory over Delhi in Pool B, after losing to Tamil Nadu in their opening match on Monday. In another match, Karnataka defeated Tamil Nadu 69-51.

Important Results

Badminton Finals

Men’s Singles: M. Tharun (Tel) bt Sourabh Varma (MP) 21-15, 16-21, 21-15

Men’s Doubles: HV Nithin/K Pruthvi Roy (Kar) bt Hariharan Amsakarunan/R Ruban Kumar 15-21, 21-18, 21-18

Women’s Singles: Anupama Upadhyaya (Har) bt Aditi Bhatt (Utr) 21-13, 21-18

Women’s Doubles: Shikha Gautam/Ashwini Bhat (Kar) bt Ritika Thaker/Simran Singhi (Mah) 21-11, 21-18

Mixed Doubles: Gouse Shaikh/D Pooja (AP) bt Navaneeth Bokka/K Maneesha (Tel) 21-8, 21-17.

Basketball

Men

Pool A: Punjab bt Delhi 104-70; Goa bt Telangana 86-56

Pool B: Tamil Nadu bt Kerala 82-46; Services bt Rajasthan 81-60

Women

Pool A: Kerala bt Uttar Pradesh 78-37;

Pool B: Maharashtra bt Delhi 77-48; Karnataka bt Tamil Nadu 69-51

Netball

Men (Semi-finals): Haryana bt Delhi 60-58; Kerala bt Jammu and Kashmir 59-41.