The ninth Pushpa Lal Memorial National Badminton Championships is set for September 10-14 in Itahari.

Organised by Nepal Sports Confederation, the annual tournament offers a total of 10 gold medals in senior and junior categories. Top-ranked 16 male and 12 female shuttlers will fight it out for the singles championships. A separate singles events in both men and women’s categories will also be held to incorporate players who do not break into the top seeding.

Apart from the singles, the tournament will see competition in men’s and women’s doubles, U-17 boys’ and girls’ as well as veterans doubles. The organizers are expecting around 190 shuttlers in the tournament.

President of the Confederation Birendra Shrestha said the objective of dividing singles events into Seeded and Open categories was to provide competitive edge to the tournament. “Making top seeds players will lower seeded together will only contribute in many matches ending up in lopsided affairs. But we will see good contests if we make top players compete against each other. The rest will also have level field in the absence of top players in the Open category,” said Shrestha. The doubles events, though, is open for all players to stake their claims for titles.

Top three shuttlers in the seeded singles men’s and women’s events will receive Rs 50,000, Rs 25,000 and Rs 12,500. In the Open singles, Rs 20,000, Rs 10,000 and Rs 5,000 is on offer for the top three players. Top three shuttlers in both boys’ and girls’ U-17 singles will earn Rs 10,000, Rs 7,000 and Rs 4,000.