PNB MetLife Junior Championship finale draws to a close with 8 young shuttlers being crowned champions in season 4

• The competition witnessed the highest ever pool of 8500 participants from across 10 cities
• Largest badminton open-platform that awarded scholarships to 16 underprivileged kids to facilitate training in badminton as part of PNB MetLife’s CSR initiative

New Delhi, August 7, 2018 : The fourth edition of the ‘PNB MetLife Junior Badminton Championship (JBC) 2018’ culminated with a grand awards ceremony, at Thyagaraj Stadium in New Delhi with eight young shuttlers named winners in the tournament across the four categories, U-9, U-11, U-15 and U-17. In addition to these winners, PNB MetLife also awarded runners-up and the top two semi-finalists for each category both in the boys and girls groups.

To tap a larger talent pool, this year, the event spanned across 10 cities as compared to 8 last year— New Delhi, Lucknow, Chandigarh, Mumbai, Pune, Bengaluru, Hyderabad, Kochi, Kolkata and Guwahati. Top 16 Shuttlers from each of these cities battled through different rounds to play in the finale.

The number of competitors this year stood at 8500 compared to 3000 in 2015, the first year of the championship. The exponential growth is a testament to the success and increasing popularity of the Championship by PNB MetLife in taking badminton to a wider audience and encouraging participation in this Olympic sport. Badminton legend and former World Number 1, Prakash Padukone graced the finale as the Chief Guest. In the previous editions, badminton stalwarts Sania Nehwal and Ashwini Ponappa have felicitated the winners. 

In addition to the 32 shuttlers won awards , 16 scholarships have also been awarded to recognise and empower talent from economically weaker sections. PNB MetLife in association with CSR partner Child Rights & You (CRY) has collaborated to train 64 children from CRY centres, of which the deserving 16 students have won year long scholarships. These scholarships will cover the cost of professional training, equipment and other competition related expenses for the underprivileged players. These players will be trained in sports academies in their respective cities.

Mr. Ashish Srivastava, MD & CEO, PNB MetLife said, “The number of participants and the gratifying response that JBC has received is a testament to the tournament’s success year after year. I want to congratulate all the winners for their exemplary performance and the participants for their enthusiasm. We will continue to encourage youngsters to adopt this sport and build a platform for talented young athletes of India so that together we can achieve a healthier and stronger nation.” 

PNB MetLife aims to revive the spirit of the sport by nurturing players and the right talent at an amateur level; fostering their growth and ability to perform on a global scale. JBC4 is a part of the company’s ‘Health for Happiness’ initiative which aims to encourage sports and an active lifestyle amongst children. This initiative has been instrumental in highlighting fitness initiatives such as the Satara Hill Half Marathon (SHHM) in an attempt to inculcate the importance of health and fitness amongst its stakeholders. While SHHM focuses on adults, JBC aims to foster the fitness mantra amongst children.

Badminton legend and Chief Guest, Prakash Padukone , said, “It gives me immense pleasure to see how far badminton has progressed in becoming the second highest played sport in India. As a coach, I would like to acknowledge initiatives like Junior Badminton Championship by PNB MetLife, which go a long way in the development of the sport. I am delighted to see the enthusiasm and dedication these players have shown from across the country today. Congratulations to all the participants and their parents who have been a pillar of support and helped their children in pursuing their dreams.”

Soha Moitra, Regional Director (North), CRY – Child Rights and You , said, “We are glad to see the PNB MetLife’s Junior Badminton Championship growing in considerable magnitude. The platform has brought together children from various sections of the society prompting them to engage and communicate with each other. Sports and activities are integral to children’s formative years and this initiative drives home that point successfully. This tournament has created value for players to showcase their exemplary performance at a national level.”

Please refer to the attached annexure for the names of top 32 Winners and Runner-Ups of the PNB MetLife Junior Badminton Championship’s (JBC) Season 4.

About PNB MetLife India Insurance Company Limited

PNB MetLife India Insurance Company Limited (PNB MetLife) is a joint venture between MetLife International Holdings Inc. (MIHI), Punjab National Bank Limited (PNB), Jammu & Kashmir Bank Limited (JKB), M. Pallonji and Company Private Limited and other private investors, with MIHI and PNB being the majority shareholders. IRDAI Registration No. 117

For more information, visit PNB MetLife