VETERAN southpaw shuttler Kiran Makode of LIC of India, Nagpur Division has brought laurels to the organisation and Nagpur by bagging the LIC Western Zone Badminton Championship in the recently held 54th LIC Western Zone Table Tennis And Badminton Selection Trials held at Ahmedabad.

In a tough field consisting of younger players from all LIC Divisions of Maharashtra, Goa and Gujarat (which consist of Western Zone), Makode proved his mettle in the earlier rounds to win easily over his fancied opponents and reached the semi-finals where he outwitted Sagar K of Pune Division 21-9, 21-10.

In the final, Makode defeated Kshitij Awasti from Satara in three tough games. After losing the first game 15-21, Makode bounced back in the second to claim it 21-13. In the decider, Awasti raced to a 11-9 and then 15-13 lead. But Makode used all his experience to win the game and match at 21-17. In the women’s section, Madhuri Gurnule of Nagpur finished runners-up in the selection trials in badminton.

Paddler Digamber Ramtekkar, also of Nagpur Division finished fourth of the selection trials.

Makode and Gurnule in badminton and Ramtekkar in table tennis, will be representing West Zone in the LIC All India Games to be held at Bhopal in November.

On this occasion, Pranay Kumar, Sr Divisional Manager, LIC of India, Nagpur Division congratulated and felicitated the players. Ashok Chandak, Secretary, Abhay Pandey, Ram Mandaokar, Raju Dudhankar, Mamata Sawane, Milind Rambhad, members of LIC Sports and Recreation Club were prominently present.

Veerbhadra Rao, Manager (P&IR), Naval Meshram, Manager (NB) and Atish Banerjee, Manager (L&HPF), Narendra Ghuge, Manager (P&GS) and other officials of LIC of India, Nagpur Division have congratulated the players and wished them luck for All India Games.