Aarti Patil, a para-badminton player, returned to the international circuit with a bronze medal after missing months due to a leg injury, and she is now aiming for a top-10 ranking by August to compete in Level 1 tournaments on the BWF circuit. Patil, who has not competed in an international event since the BWF World Championship in Thailand in February, lost to compatriot Manisha Ramadass in the women’s SU5 semifinals at the Bahrain Para-Badminton Tournament on Saturday. Patil’s run to the semifinals helped her rise six spots to 14th in the world rankings, but she realizes she still has a long way to go.
The youngster, who is from a village in Karnataka’s Belgavi region but currently trains in Pune, hailed the Punit Balan Group for alleviating her financial burden.
“The expense of competing in these international events has been rising, and it was only thanks to financial support from the Punit Balan company that I was able to participate in the World Championship and this tournament. I’m looking forward to playing in Uganda and changing the color of my medal,” she said.
The Punit Balan Group has committed to assisting Aarti for three years and will provide her full support in her quest to win medals on the world scene.
