Hyderabad, Jan 11 (.) Dev Ruparelia of Maharashtra and Tanvi Patri of Odisha won titles at the Yonex-Sunrise All India Junior Ranking Badminton Tournament 2026 (Under-19) concluded at the Heartfulness Gopichand Badminton Academy (HGBA) here.
In the boys’ singles final, Dev Ruparelia clinched the title with a hard-fought 21-19, 22-20 win over Nishchal Chand of Uttar Pradesh.
In the girls’ singles crown went to Tanvi Patri, who defeated Tanvi Reddy Andluri of Telangana 23-21, 21-16.
Speaking at the prize distribution ceremony here on Saturday, Spiritual leader and Heartfulness Global Guide Kamlesh Patel, popularly known as Daaji,urged young athletes to approach sport with balance and inner clarity, encouraging them to treat both victory and defeat as part of life’s larger journey.
“Take life as a play,” he told the finalists, reminding them that commitment to excellence matters more than results alone.
Drawing parallels from international sport, Daaji cited the transformation of the NBA’s Chicago Bulls under coach Phil Jackson, who introduced meditation practices to the team.
He recalled how the Bulls, led by Michael Jordan, went on to dominate the league after embracing mental conditioning, a formula Jackson later replicated with the Los Angeles Lakers.
“Meditation awakens hidden potential and creates extraordinary coordination,” Daaji said, adding that inner focus enhances intuition and the ability to anticipate an opponent’s moves. Quoting the Bhagavad Gita’s teaching ‘Yoga karmasu kausalam’, he highlighted the importance of perfection in action through yogic discipline.
The eight-day tournament sanctioned by the Badminton Association of India (BAI), featured over 1,100 players from 28 states and eight union Territories, competing at Kanha Shanti Vanam.
Final Results (U-19):
Boys’ Singles:Dev Ruparelia (Maharashtra) bt Nishchal Chand (Uttar Pradesh) 21-19, 22-20
Girls’ Singles:Tanvi Patri (Odisha) bt Tanvi Reddy Andluri (Telangana) 23-21, 21-16
Boys’ Doubles:Charan Ram Thippana / Hari Krishna Veeram Reddy (Andhra Pradesh) bt Aanayan Borah (Assam) / Malsawmhlua (Mizoram) 21-12, 23-21
Girls’ Doubles: Diya Bheemaiah B (Karnataka) / Baruni Parshwal (Haryana) bt Lakshmi Ridhima Devineni / Sarayu Suryaneni (Telangana) 21-11, 21-12
Mixed Doubles:Bjorn Jaison (Kerala) / Diya Bheemaiah B (Karnataka) bt Punith S / Deepak Raj Aditi (Karnataka) 21-14, 21-17
Following the tournament, selectors will finalize the Indian junior squad for the upcoming European leg of the Junior International circuit, with the Dutch and German Junior Internationals scheduled for February 2026.
. KNR ARN