Lucknow: Uttar Pradesh shuttler Arsh Mohammed delivered a standout performance in front of the home crowd, winning the men’s doubles title at the Yonex Sunrise Dr Akhilesh Das Gupta Memorial All India Senior Ranking Badminton Tournament 2026.
The seventh-seeded Arsh, partnering Chhattisgarh’s Saurav Sahu, defeated Karnataka’s Sumit AR and Arya T in straight games in the final at the BBD UP Badminton Academy, Gomti Nagar. The winning pair prevailed 15-7, 15-12 to lift the trophy.
Arsh and Saurav took control from the opening exchanges, using accurate serves and well-placed shots to keep their opponents under pressure. They dominated the first game 15-7.
The Karnataka pair attempted a comeback in the second game and managed to keep the contest level at 12-12. However, Arsh and Saurav held their nerve at the crucial stage, scoring three successive points to close out the game 15-12 and seal the championship.
Promising Partnership Delivers Another Strong Result
Arsh and Saurav are a relatively new combination, but they have already shown considerable promise. The pair had earlier reached the semi-finals of the All India Chennai tournament, making their Lucknow triumph another significant milestone.
Arsh has previously enjoyed success with Rajasthan’s Sanskar, winning the Senior National and Junior National titles in 2024. He was also the runner-up in the Under-17 category at the ABC Under-17 Championships in Thailand in 2022.
Champions Crowned in Five Categories
Organised by the Uttar Pradesh Badminton Association under the aegis of the Badminton Association of India, the tournament carried a total prize purse of Rs 10 lakh. Finals in all five categories were held at the BBD UP Badminton Academy on Monday.
In women’s singles, third-seeded Haryana player Jia Rawat defeated fourth-seeded Chhattisgarh shuttler Rijul Saini 15-12, 12-15, 15-11. Jia won the opening game, but Rijul fought back in the second before Jia secured the decisive game.
In men’s singles, Delhi’s third-seeded Gynpol Sona defeated Haryana’s second-seeded Ravi 15-13, 15-9. After a closely contested opening game, Sona maintained control in the second to complete a straight-game victory.
The mixed doubles title went to the qualifying pair of Delhi’s Bhavya Chhabra and Uttarakhand’s Aditi Bhatt. They defeated Tamil Nadu’s Sanjay Srivats D and Adya Varianath 15-13, 15-9.
In women’s doubles, fourth-seeded Aditi Bhatt of Uttarakhand and Maharashtra’s Shravani Walekar defeated second-seeded Kerala’s Nayana S. Oasis and Tamil Nadu’s Varshini Viswanath 15-10, 15-8.
UPBA Congratulates Arsh
At the closing ceremony, Uttar Pradesh Badminton Association president Viraj Sagar Das, chairman Dr Navneet Sehgal and secretary Dr Sudharma Singh presented prizes to the winners and runners-up.
Congratulating Arsh Mohammed, Viraj Sagar Das said his men’s doubles victory had brought recognition to Uttar Pradesh. Dr Navneet Sehgal also hailed the achievement and extended his best wishes to the champion.
The ceremony was attended by AGA Uttar Pradesh Government Dr Alok Saran, Advocate, vice-president Arun Kakkar, treasurer Ravindra Chauhan, joint secretary Gaurav Khanna and FOP in-charge Dr Yogesh Shetty, among others.
