Young Badminton Star Inayat Gulati Selected for National Team

Inayat Gulati Joins India's Sub-Junior Badminton Team

At just 14 years old, Inayat Gulati has earned a spot on the sub-junior Indian badminton team, marking her as one of the youngest athletes from Punjab to achieve this honor. Currently a Class IX student at Delhi Public School, she is set to represent India at the Asia Sub-Junior Badminton Championship in Chengdu, China, scheduled from September 8 to 13.

Inayat is notably the second girl from Jalandhar to make it to the national team, following Manya Ralhan, who competed in the junior category. Her selection came after she secured a silver medal in the under-15 mixed doubles at the All India Sub-Junior Ranking Badminton Tournament held in Bengaluru.

Upon her return, Inayat received a warm welcome at the Ratti Badminton Academy in Doaba College, where she trains under the guidance of former international players Sachin Ratti and Gagan Ratti.

Ritin Khanna, the honorary secretary of the Punjab Badminton Association, presented her with a cheque for Rs 21,000 and expressed his commitment to support her journey. He remarked, “Gulati is a talented young player who is following in the footsteps of star athlete Tanvi Sharma from Hoshiarpur. Her dedication and disciplined training have propelled her to this level at such a young age.”

Jalandhar has produced only three international shuttlers to date: Sachin Ratti, Ram Lakhan, and Manya Ralhan.

Inayat resides in Phagwara, where her parents operate a business. Her mother, Shivani Gulati, shared, “Regardless of the season, she rises at 4 am every day to reach Jalandhar for practice by 5 am. After her morning session, she comes home, eats, rests, and then heads back for her second training session. Online classes help her stay on top of her schoolwork despite her busy schedule with camps and tournaments.”