UPCOMING city shuttler Ritika Thaker, along with her Mumbai partner Simran Singhi, have got entry in India Open 2021 to be played at New Delhi from May 11. This is an HSBC BWF World Tour Super 500 level tournament. It will be more than a year that twenty-year-old Ritika will be playing competitive badminton. Due to covid restrictions, there would be no qualifying rounds.

 

Only these two girls from Maharashtra have found a place in the women’s main draw. They got a chance to play this tournament because of their BWF rankings. Ritika is also in the reserve group in women’s singles. It may be mentioned that top players of the world like Kento Momota, Victor Alexsen, Carolina Marin, Akani Yamaguchi, apart from India’s PV Sindhu and Saina Nehwal, are participating in this tournament. Speaking on the occasion, Ritika said she is very thrilled to have got the entry in this prestigious tournament and will get to learn a lot from the world class players. She also said they will give their best for every point they play. Ritika is a trainee of Robin Simon and Ajay Dayal while Simran plays at Thane Academy under Srikant Vad.

 

Ritika and Simran recently attended a two-month long special training camp at the Hyderabad-based Suchitra Badminton Academy where they played with many top shuttlers of the country under the watchful eyes of senior Indian and foreign coaches. Ritika-Simran have been junior national girls doubles champions at Rajamundhry in 2019 when they shocked top seeds Aditi Bhatt and Tanisha Crasto. In the same year, the duo emerged winners in women’s doubles winner at Egypt International The Nagpur-Mumbai pair was also a quarter-finalist in the Syed Modi International (only Indian pair to reach last eight stage in women’ doubles).