• Over  the last three seasons  the tournament hosted over 8000 children who participated in 8 cities 
• 10 cities to host regional matches this year: New Delhi, Mumbai, Bengaluru, Hyderabad, Chandigarh, Pune, Lucknow,  Guwahati, Kolkata and Kochi
• Matches to be held under four age categories: Under-9, 11, 13 and 15  for both boys and girls
• The platform supports the  training of underprivileged kids in the sport and 140 children have benefitted from scholarships for training in badminton 
• The tournament is approved by the Badminton Association of India (BAI)

Guwahati, July 14, 2018: PNB MetLife, one of India’s leading life insurance companies, kick-started the Guwahati leg of the fourth season of Junior Badminton Championship in the city today. The tournament one of the biggest National open-platforms for Badminton is being held at Assam Badminton Association, Kanaklata Indoor Stadium. The first day of the three-day tournament in the city saw 392 young future prodigies engaging in epic clashes. The fourth season of the tournament promises more exciting and high-octane badminton action.

The tournament was inaugurated by Mr. Omar Rashid, Secretary, Badminton Association of India.

This year, JBC is scheduled to cover the length and breadth of the country with tournaments in 10 cities - Chandigarh, Bengaluru, Kochi, Lucknow, Pune, Mumbai, Kolkata, Hyderabad, Guwahati and New Delhi. The matches will be played in four age categories – Under-9, 11, 13 and 15 for boys and girls. Top two kids from each category from every city tournament will proceed to the National Finale in New Delhi scheduled on Aug 9-10 to fight for the National title. 

The platform is being sponsored by PNB MetLife, with CRY Foundation as the CSR partner. The aim of this initiative is to revive the spirit of the sport by nurturing the right talent at an amateur level, thereby fostering their growth and ability to perform on a global scale. 

Mr. Nipun Kaushal, Chief Marketing Officer, PNB MetLife said, “Over the years JBC 4 has become a much awaited event and it is heartening to see the response to the tournament in different cities. We have used an integrated communication approach to promote this Olympic sport so that more children can benefit from playing it.  We expect to have a total of 8000 children participate in this year’s edition. We are committed to provide more children access to this platform. The passion and commitment that we saw today is testament that tomorrow, as national players, these children will cross new boundaries in the sport of Badminton.”

The Chief Guest for the event, Mr. Omar Rashid, Secretary, Badminton Association of India, said, “We see an evolution in Badminton in India because of good performances in the last many years. It is good for the game if we have more young people participate in the sport. With platforms like PNB MetLife Junior Badminton Championship (JBC) 4, it is a step in the right direction.”

Speaking on the initiative, Prashant Sinha, Co-Founder Momspresso and event partner, said, “In today’s rigorous lifestyle parents find it difficult to manage regular sports activities of their kids.  We recently conducted a survey on Mom's Happiness Index where kids extracurricular activity was rated among the top 5 stressors for Moms.  There is a crucial need for encouraging fitness and sports among kids as it leads to their overall development and JBC by PNB MetLife is a promising initiative in this direction. We thrilled to be a part of this excellent initiative and hope this instills a wave of encouragement towards sports and fitness in general.

The national-level tournament, approved by Badminton Association of India (BAI), has in the past four years grown from strength-to-strength to become one of the biggest annual national level platforms for young badminton enthusiasts. Speaking on the occasion, BAI President – Mr. Himanta Biswa Sarma, said, “We are delighted to associate with PNB MetLife Junior Badminton Championship (JBC) 4. Through this initiative young children can now hone their skills and chase their badminton dreams. India has the potential to produce many budding sports stars. Platforms like these take the sport to different parts of the country and make it accessible to all.”

After Guwahati, JBC 4 will be travelling to Delhi.

The complete tournament schedule:

For more information and registration one can visit https://www.healthforhappiness.in/

About PNB MetLife India Insurance Company Limited

PNB MetLife India Insurance Company Limited (PNB MetLife) is a joint venture between MetLife International Holdings Inc. (MIHI), Punjab National Bank Limited (PNB), Jammu & Kashmir Bank Limited (JKB), M. Pallonji and Company Private Limited and other private investors, with MIHI and PNB being the majority shareholders. IRDAI Registration No. 117

For more information, visit www.pnbmetlife.com