Mumbai: Top shuttler Ajay Jayaram, ranked 29th in the world, has pulled out of the NSCI All India Senior Ranking Badminton Tournament to be held here from Saturday.
Jayaram, who has reached the quarterfinals of the men's singles in the Vietnam Grand Prix Open that concludes on Sunday, has told the tournament organisers that he had not personally sent in his entry, which had been forwarded by his employers Petroleum Sports Promotion Board (PSPB).
"He said he had not sent in his entry in the first place and it had been sent by the PSPB. He has withdrawn," said Sunder Shetty, joint secretary of the Badminton Association of India.
The tournament has attracted a lot of top Indian shuttlers, barring a few like Saina Nehwal and Jwala Gutta, who would fight it out for top honours at the newly built badminton courts of the Sardar Vallabhai Patel Sports Complex.
Among those who would be seen in action are national women's champion Aditi Mutatkar and former champion Arundhati Pantawane who would play in the event straight after their participation in the ongoing Vietnam Open at Ho Chih Minh City.
Other star attractions in the Rs. 5-lakh-prize-money tournament are top-seed Saurabh Verma, Parupally Kashyap (world no. 23), Anup Shridhar (world no. 81) among men and promising woman shuttler PC Thulasi, who won her maiden seniors title at the Tata Open International tournament at the CCI here last December.
"The draw is good for me. But as a player, I would like to concentrate on my own game rather than the draw. Finally everything boils down to how you play, rather than who your opponent is," said women's top seed Neha Pandit.
Performances of the players in the tournament would be considered for selection in the Indian team for participation in the forthcoming international tournaments during the season 2011-2012.
The finals of the tournament, to be played under the aegis of Badminton Association of India and Greater Mumbai Badminton Association, are scheduled on August 31.
The men's singles winner would receive Rs. 40,000 and the corresponding women's champion would get Rs. 28,000.
Qualifying rounds would be held over the first two days and the main draw matches commence on August 29.
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