KOCHI: National women’s championship runner-up P C Thulasi made short work of top seed Anuradha Shrikhande 21-9, 21-8 to win the under- 19 girls title in 9th United India Insurance RSC All India junior ranking badminton tournament here on Saturday.
In the final played at the Rajiv Gandhi indoor stadium, the number five seed was on the button from the start as she ran up an 8-0 lead before Air India’s Anuradha could find her rhythm. The Kerala girl mixed up her game intelligently with the crosscourt drop shot from the back court proving productive.
“She likes to play long rallies, so I tried to attack and finish off points quickly,’’ said Thulas, who was seeded fifth here after missing some domestic tournaments due to international commitments.
Fourth seed Sai Praneeth B of AP claimed the under-19 boys title with a hard fought 21-18, 21-18 win over the unseeded Prannoy H S of Air India. In an error ridden final, Prannoy had his chances with the scores tied at 16 each in both sets. “I tried to keep the rallies short and I am happy with the win,” said Sai. The junior international completed a double winning the doubles event as well partnering Pranav Chopra of Air India. They beat the AP combination of Nanda Gopal K and Naveen Kumar S 21-13, 21-8 in the final.
Having made her presence felt in the national circuit, 17-year old shuttler P C Thulasi said she dreams of winning titles at the highest level. “I want to win medals in the international tournaments,” she said. A native of Palakkad in Kerala, the youngster had garnered the attention of the badminton fraternity in the country after toppling defending champion Neha Pandit en-route to a runner-up finish in the national women’s championship held at Indore in February this year. She lost to the current national number one Sayali Gokhale.
Currently, a member of the national preparatory camp for the 2010 Commonwealth Games, Thulasi is working to strengthen herself physically.
“I feel happy with the improvements in my game but I have to bring more power into my smashing to succeed,” said the unassuming Thulasi who takes inspiration from Saina Nehwal’s achievements.
A regular in the badminton arena right from the under-10 category, she was spotted as a frail seven-and-a-half-year old by coach Mohanachandran.
On his advice, she moved to Thrissur and has progressed through the ranks under his careful guidance.
“She has the potential to win titles in the international competitions if she gets the right breaks,” said Mohanachandran.
Thulasi was away on tour to Vietnam and Thailand in May. Although she could not make much progress in singles in the senior tournaments, she managed to reach the final of the Smile Fish International series.
“I have learned a lot from the experience there,” she said. Currently, Thulasi is ranked number seven among women nationally. The next big assignment for the determined girl is the Asian Junior Championship that will be held in Malaysia in August.