Delhi shuttler in World Badminton C’ships after 22 years

After 22 years, a Delhi shuttler will take part in the World Badminton Championships to be held this year in Jakarta from August 10 to 16.

Mohita Sahdev will become the first Delhi shuttler to take part in the annual event after Ajay Kanwar participated in men's doubles with Vijaydeep Singh at the 1993 Worlds in Birmingham.

Though there have been other shuttlers who were residents of the national Capital or were born here, they did not play for Delhi at the national level, representing Railways or Petroleum boards, among others.

"The first time I became a state champion at the Under-13 level, I had a dream of playing for India at the World Championships. It has taken almost 14-15 years to realise the dream and I do not have words to express my feelings," the 27-year-old Mohita said.

Mohita, who trains at the Surjit Singh Badminton Academy here, will be partnering friend Dhanya Nair in the Indonesian capital. They will take on the French pair of Delphine Lansac and Emilie Lefel in the first round of women's doubles on Tuesday.

"I had been trying for many years to qualify for the World Championships and it has finally come true," said Mohita, whose husband Tanvir Gill is also a national-level badminton player.