Aparna breaks into top 20

Bangalore, July 16: National champion Aparna Popat has broken into the top 20 world ranking in the women's single list released by the In...

Bangalore, July 16: National champion Aparna Popat has broken into the top 20 world ranking in the women’s single list released by the International Badminton Federation (IBF).

P Gopi Chand is ranked 37 in the men’s singles and the men’s doubles pair of Jaseel Ismail and Vincent Lobo is 55.

Commenting on the latest rankings, Prakash Padukone, executive president of BAI said, “We have set realistic goals for our players. We would like Gopi Chand to be in the top 25 and Aparna in the top 20 by the end of the year.”

“Now that Aparna is already in the 20’s, she has to maintain her current ranking and try to be in the top 15 by December 1999.”

“I would consider it as a good achievement if she can make it to the world’s top 12 and qualify to play in the year ending World Grand Prix finals which features the top 12 women’s singles players in December 2000.”

Padukone said apart from Gopi Chand and Aparna, the aim would be to get at least two men’s singles players, two women’s singles players and ourtop men’s doubles pair to qualify for the Sydney Olympics in September 2000.

Rankings

Men’s singles: Nikhil Kanetkar 86, Abhinn Shyam Gupta 94, Ajit Wijetilek 132, Sachin Ratti 160, Srikant Bakshi 183, Mangirish Palekar 190, Chetan Anand 209, Thomas Kurian 229, Anuj Gupta 243.

Story continues below this ad

Women’s singles: Neelima Choudhary 85, Manjusha Kanwar 149, B R Meenakshi 183, P V Lakhsmi 209, Divya Ramesh 221, Sampada Shetye 232, Nirmala Kotnis 278, Pooja Parekh 302.