The Hindu : Sport / Badminton : SZ tournament from today

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Friday, Sep 29, 2006
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SZ tournament from today

Principal Correspondent

KOZHIKODE: The 62nd South Zone inter-State badminton championship begins at the V.K. Krishna Menon Indoor Stadium here on Friday. Host Kerala will defend three out of the four titles at stake.

Last year at Tirupur, Kerala had won the men's, women's and junior girls' titles. The host is facing the stiffest challenge in the men's event, according to coach M.L. Narendran.

"Andhra has come here with a strong team," he said. "Though we would have liked to have one more solid singles player, we have a couple of good combinations in doubles."

He said much would depend on Sanave Thomas, who would be playing in both singles and doubles.

Andhra coach P. Manoj Kumar is confident that his team has the edge in singles. "In J.B.S. Vidyadhar and P. Kashyap we have two excellent singles players," he said.

"Besides the men's event, which I feel we can win, I am also hopeful about our chances in the junior boys' competition, which we had won last year."

In the women's section, Kerala's hopes of retaining the title rest on the shoulders of local girl Aparna Balan.

"Only she has enough experience at this level," said Narendran. "But we should be able to do well in the women's event, in which our main challenger, I feel, will be Karnataka." The championship concludes on Saturday.

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