Pune, August 20, 2023 – The anticipation is building up as the ninth edition of the ‘PYC – TRUSPACE Badminton League 2023’ approaches, showcasing an impressive ensemble of 160 players across various age groups. This annual tournament, organized by the PYC Hindu Gymkhana, will see eight teams vying for victory, with matches scheduled to take place from August 22 to August 27, 2023, at the Club Badminton Courts.
Among the 160 players, Soham Gadgil (Belvalkar Bobcats, 3300pts), Pratik Dharmadhikari (Ravetkar Comets, 3300pts), Anish Rane (Belvalkar Bobcats, 3200pts), and Tejas Kinjawadekar (Imperial Swans) stand out as the most valuable players in terms of points. These players have garnered significant attention, reflecting their skills and contributions to the sport.
Mr. Kumar Tamhane, President of PYC Hindu Gymkhana, along with Mr. Sarang Lagu, Honorary Secretary of the PYC Hindu Gymkhana, and Mr. Ashwin Trimal of Truspace, revealed that the tournament had attracted participants across diverse age categories, including nominated players, women, and open categories. Mr. Trimal highlighted his commitment to the event as the exclusive sponsor for the ninth consecutive year, emphasizing the importance of providing a platform for players to showcase their talents.
Mr. Trimal, a sports enthusiast himself, expressed his enthusiasm for supporting the event, stating, “We are thrilled to support this event and happy to provide a platform for players to show their skills.”
The tournament’s format is designed to maximize participation and provide opportunities for every player. Each player will have the chance to compete in one match per tie. Each tie will consist of eight matches, employing a best-of-three-match format. In the event of a tie after the first two games, a decider game will be played.
The competition will unfold in a league cum knockout format. Group Winner A and Group Winner B will engage in the Qualifier 1 match, while the runners-up from Groups 1 and 2 will compete in the eliminator. The winner of Qualifier 1 will directly secure a spot in the finals. Meanwhile, the loser of Qualifier 1 will face off against the winner of the Eliminator in Qualifier 2. The victorious team will be awarded the coveted trophy, as shared by Mr. Tanmay Agashe, Badminton Secretary of PYC Hindu Gymkhana. Mr. Nandan Dongre will assume the role of Tournament Director of the PBL.
This year’s event emphasizes maximum participation and inclusivity, with a particular focus on involving women and children. To incentivize participation, every team will earn three bonus points for achieving 100% participation.
The eight teams have been divided into two pools – A and B, with four teams in each pool. During the league stage, all teams will compete against each other. A tie will comprise 7 Open Doubles matches and 1 Mixed Doubles match.
The participants, who are all club members, were selected through an auction process to represent the eight teams. Additionally, each team is owned by its respective members. The participating teams include Optima Falcons (Abhijit Rajwade), Kaps Ravens (Kedar Nadgonde and Preeti Sapre), Black Hawks (Alok Telang), Ravetkar Comets (Amol Ravetkar & Parag Chopda), Imperial Swans (Aditya Kale), The Eagles (Vinayak Bapat & Amit Devdhar), Belvalkar Bobcats (Nakul Belvalkar), and Seinumero Jalan Goshawk (Tushar Mengale & Sameer Jalan).
To ensure the smooth execution of the event, a dedicated Tournament Committee has been formed, comprising individuals such as Tanmay Agashe, Sarang Lagu, Abhishek Tamhane, Nandan Dongre, Vivek Saraf, Ranjit Pande, Kedar Nadgonde, Sameer Jalan, and Deepti Sardesai, as shared by Mr. Tamhane.
With the stage set for fierce competition, the ninth edition of the ‘PYC – TRUSPACE Badminton League’ promises to be a testament to sportsmanship, camaraderie, and the growth of the badminton community.
