New-look Maharashtra spearheaded by Thomas Cupper doubles specialist Akshay Dewalkar from Thane and comprising Mumbai Suburb’s Harsheel Dani, Pune’s Nishad Dravid, Nashik’s Siddharth Thakur and Thane lad Akshay Raut, are oozing a lot of confidence and are hopeful to retain their hold on the trophy as the West Zone inter-state badminton championships, organized by BOR (Badminton Organisation of Raigadh) and hosted by DY Patil Sports Academy at their Stadium’s badminton hall, at Nerul , takes off from tomorrow .
Harsheel Dani
However, this year’s team event for both seniors and juniors will be quite different from the earlier years as it will be a mixed team events with men’s and women’s singles and doubles and mixed doubles.
Lanky Harsheel Dani , ex-junior nation champion and current state champion Mudra Dhainje or India ranked Neha Pandit are likely figure in singles while Akshay Dewalkar and Nishad Dravid are hopeful to take care of the doubles . Either of them will partner Mansi Gadgil in the final mixed doubles tie.
Out of the other teams in the fray, Madhya Pradesh, Gujarat, Goa and Chhatisgar, MP side looks quite formidable, but since the BAI has introduced the mixed team event format from this year, picking winners can be a tricky affair. Matches will be played on knock-out basis.
Maharashtra teams: MEN; Akshay Dewalkar (capt), Harheel Dani, Nishad Dravid, Akshay Raut aand Siddharth Thakur.
WOMEN: Mudra Dainje, Neha Pandit, Vaishnavi Iyer, Manasi Gadgil and Revathi Devasthale.