KATHUA, JULY 29: The District Badminton Tournament Kathua 2026, organised by the District Administration Kathua under the Nasha Mukt Bharat Abhiyan, entered its final stage today at the Indoor Stadium, Kathua, with the conduct of semi-final matches across all major categories.
The tournament has received an enthusiastic response from players across the district, with nearly 200 matches played over the past few days, showcasing talent, discipline and sportsmanship.
The finalists in different categories are Sunshine Gupta and Saanvi (U-14 Girls Singles); Abhiraj and Saksham Singh (U-14 Boys Singles); Aaradhay/Arsh and Dheerya/Aarav (U-14 Boys Doubles); Priyanshi Sharma and Manyata (U-19 Girls Singles and Women’s Singles); Priyanshi & Sunshine and Manvir Kaur & Kanika (U-19 Girls Doubles); Aniket Sharma and Daksh Singh (U-19 Boys Singles); Saksham Sharma/Daksh Singh and Anirudher Jasrotia/Raghav Sharma (U-19 Boys Doubles) and Abhijeet Jasrotia and Manik (Men’s Singles).
The Men’s Doubles and Veteran Men’s Doubles events are still in progress. One Men’s Doubles pair, Shubham Sharma and Kulbandhu, has already secured a berth in the final, while the remaining Men’s Doubles semi-final and the Veteran Men’s Doubles matches are yet to be played.
A special highlight of the tournament was the anti-drug pledge administered to all participating players, who pledged to remain drug-free and encourage others to adopt sports as a way of life, reinforcing the message “Choose Sports, Not Drugs” in line with the objectives of the Nasha Mukt Bharat Abhiyan.
The District Administration Kathua is organising the tournament to encourage a sports culture among the youth and provide a platform for budding players to showcase their talent, and to spread the message of a healthy, active and drug-free lifestyle.
