Bhubaneswar: In a fitting crescendo to six days of thrilling competition and athletic prowess, the Odisha Masters 2023 that saw over 300 players from 27 countries was successfully concluded.
The final day witnessed an electric atmosphere, charged with the spirited cheers of fervent fans as the champions were crowned across five categories. The closing ceremony and final prize distribution was attended by Hon. Sports Minister, Odisha, Shri Tusharkanti Behera who congratulated the winners on their achievement and thanked the crowd for their support. Following the matches, the technical officials of the tournament were also felicitated for their contribution in making the event a resounding success.
Speaking at the occasion, Hon. Sports Minister, Odisha, Shri Tusharkanti Behera expressed his pride on the successful conclusion of yet another international sporting event in Odisha. “We are truly pleased at the high-quality badminton action that has unfolded over the last few days. This edition, it has been special to welcome fans to the arena and their enthusiasm has added an extra layer of the anticipation of the atmosphere.”
Reiterating Odisha’s commitment to the development of badminton, he further added, “Our commitment to badminton’s growth in our state and India remains unwavering and we look forward to working with BAI and BWF towards the promotion of this beautiful game. Soon we will also inaugurate the badminton high-performance center at the Kalinga Sports Complex—an addition that promises to contribute significantly to India’s badminton legacy.”
The day proved to be a successful endeavour for Indian athletes, with the duo of Tanisha Castro and Dhruv Kapila triumphing in the Mixed Doubles final, while Satish Kumar Karunakaran emerged victorious in all Indian Men’s Singles final against Ayush Shetty. In the Women’s Doubles final, the Indonesian pair of Meilysa Puspitasari and Rachel Rose defeated Ashwini Ponnappa and Tanisha Castro, while Chinese Taipei’s Ling Bing Wei and Su Ching Heng defeated Krishna Prasad Garag and Sai Pratheek in Men’s Doubles. Nozomi Okuhara also reigned supreme in the Women’s Singles final.
