SUBHASH MISHRA
Dhanbad, June 7: Star-studded Jharkhand boys and girls badminton team left for Gwalior on Tuesday night by Howrah- Agra Cantt Chambal Express train for the national championship of Schools Games Federation of India (SGFI) scheduled to begin at Gwalior from June 8 to 10.
The official sources said that one of the selected girls of the team Rani Priya of Bokaro district withdrew her name from the team at the last moment before the departure of the squad. Though her ticket had already been booked she reportedly informed the girls’ team manager about her tour cancellation.
Now, the Jharkhand girls’ badminton team would be short of one player in the championship.
The badminton teams ( boys and girls) of Jharkhand have left for the championship venue (Gwalior) by Chambal Express while teams of other disciplines set off from their respective venues in a special bogey from Ranchi on June 3. Ranchi badminton teams boarded at Koderma railway station on Tuesday night.
Stars studded boys team of Jharkhand comprising Priyanshu Tirki (Gumla), Harshit Raj (Ranchi), Emmanuel Jaimashi Kujur (Ranchi), Niraj Kesri (Ranchi) and Sachin Gope (Ranchi) are considered a strong squad as almost all of them are national rank players.
Binkat Raman is the coach cum manager of the boys’ team.
The girls’ team comprises Ananya Singh (Ranchi), Yogita Bora (Ranchi), Jasintha Bilung (Gumla) and Shruti (Dhanbad).
Uma Rani Palit is the coach cum manager of the girls’ team. Both the coaches, Binkat Raman and Uma Rani Palit, expressed hope that teams would perform better in the national championship.