Nashik's Shravani Walekar Wins National Women's Doubles Badminton Title

Nashik: Maharashtra's Shravani Devendra Walekar, partnering with Aditi Bhat, has claimed the women's doubles title at the Yonex Sunrise All India Senior Ranking Badminton Tournament held in Kochi, Kerala.

In a thrilling final, the duo defeated defending champions Shikha Gautam and Ashwini Bhat by 15-12, 13-15, 15-11 to lift the prestigious national crown.

Shravani, one of Nashik's most promising badminton talents, has once again brought pride to the city's sporting fraternity. She received training under coach Makarand Dev, while her journey in the sport began at the Shivsatya Mandal ground in Nashik. Recognised early for her exceptional talent, she was selected for the Prakash Padukone Academy in 2022. She had earlier won the Khelo India title in 2024, and her latest triumph further strengthens her reputation as one of the country's rising badminton stars.

Shravani is the daughter of Dr Devendra Walekar and Dr Mamta Walekar. Her achievement has been widely celebrated across Nashik's sports community.

Shravani Walekar said:
"This national title is the result of the constant encouragement from my parents, the invaluable guidance of coach Makarand Dev and Prakash Padukone, and years of hard work. The technical inputs from Russian coach Ivan and other senior coaches also proved crucial during the tournament. I now aim to perform consistently at the international level and work towards representing India at the Olympic Games."