PNB MetLife Junior Badminton Championship sees 41K participants, 28K matches in 7 Editions

Mumbai, Dec 20: PNB MetLife Junior Badminton Championship (JBC) has concluded its 7th edition with unprecedented success, achieving a spectacular World Record recognized by the World Record Certification Agency (WRCA). The 7th edition secured the prestigious title of the ‘Most kids participating in a Badminton Championship in multiple cities,’ surpassing its own record set in 2022.

Launched in 2015, PNB MetLife JBC has evolved into one of the nation's largest annual open platforms for young badminton enthusiasts, engaging over 41,000 participants in more than 28,000 matches over the past 7 editions. The success of PNB MetLife JBC is attributed to well-planned and executed marketing efforts, contributing to the growing anticipation around the event each year.

Record-Breaking Journey: From its humble beginnings in 2015 across four cities, the championship has expanded exponentially, covering 10 cities in the latest 7th edition. The anticipation builds annually as players and badminton enthusiasts eagerly await this iconic event, contributing to its growing popularity. The 7th edition witnessed extraordinary participation of 8257 young champions, reflecting the championship's commitment to fostering badminton talent at the grassroots level.

Asian Games Gold Medallists as Mentors: The 2023 edition saw the inclusion of Asian Games Gold Medallists, Chirag Shetty & Satwik Rankireddy, who have recently been nominated for the Khel Ratna as PNB MetLife JBC mentors. Their invaluable guidance and expertise significantly contributed to the championship's success, inspiring young talents to aim for excellence and enhancing the event's prestige.

Beyond records and numbers, JBC remains a significant platform for aspiring young badminton players. Initiatives like the JBC Boot Camp, an online badminton academy offering tutorial videos by renowned coaches and badminton players, including U. Vimal Kumar, Vijay Lancy, Anup Sridhar, and JBC Mentors Satwik & Chirag covering topics such as badminton techniques, mental ability, fitness, and nutrition. These tutorial videos from badminton stalwarts, provide young athletes professional training across three levels – Basic, Intermediate, and Advanced.

Another initiative introduced was the JBC Virtual Dugout. This initiative was launched during Covid-19 that gave young shuttlers an opportunity to directly connect with the top badminton players and experts from the safety of their homes and seek advice and tips on how to stay fit and practice their skills to come-back strong post lockdown. These experts also encouraged the young athletes to ‘Eat Right, Play Hard’ and offered advice on how to retain focus and mental strength.

Ashish K Srivastava, MD and CEO of PNB MetLife, expressed, “The PNB MetLife Junior Badminton Championship has evolved into a catalyst for talent development in badminton, nurturing emerging athletes into future stars. The extraordinary feat of securing the World Record for the highest number of participating kids in a badminton championship for two consecutive years underscores our commitment to shaping the future of badminton in India. As we look ahead to future editions, our focus remains on promoting sports and youth development on a broader scale, actively contributing to the growth and well-being of young athletes across the country."

Sourabh Lohtia, Head of Marketing for PNB MetLife added, “As we celebrate the success of the 7th edition of JBC, our commitment to expanding its reach and impact in the future remains strong. The journey from a modest 300 registrations in 2015 to shattering the world record with 8255 participants in the 2023 edition illustrates the escalating interest from aspiring shuttlers, emphasizing the prominent standing PNB MetLife JBC has achieved. We are confident in the continued success of JBC and anticipate even larger participation from young shuttlers in future editions.”

Rewarding Excellence: In the 7th season, Rs 30 Lakhs were awarded to the young champions across 10 cities, reflecting PNB MetLife's dedication towards creating a platform that is centred around identifying, nurturing, and supporting emerging talents in the Olympic sport of badminton, furthering the mission to safeguard and empower Indian aspirations at world stage.