Dev Ruparelia & Tanay Mehendale Clinch Historic All-Academy State Final
Mid-Day documents the 2023 Maharashtra State Open U-17 Boys' Singles final at Andheri Sports Complex.
Intense front-court net exchange during the Maharashtra State Open 2023 final.
Fourteen-year-old shuttler **Dev Ruparelia** of Palghar District and Nitesh Badminton Academy produced an exhibition of tactical poise and counter-attacking brilliance to win the U-17 Boys' Singles title at the prestigious Maharashtra State Open Badminton Championship held at the Andheri Sports Complex.
In an unprecedented showcase of club supremacy, Dev faced fellow Nitesh Badminton Academy trainee and close friend **Tanay Mehendale** in the championship final.
Both players had stormed through the state draw, eliminating top Mumbai and Pune seeds with punishing rallies and high-recovery footwork honed through intensive academy training in Virar.
The final showcased top-tier junior badminton: Dev utilized steep cross-court smashes and wrist-flick deception to secure the first game 21-17. In the second game, Tanay rallied fiercely with sharp net interceptions, but Dev maintained relentless baseline length to close out the match 21-17, 21-17 in straight games.
The result marked a watershed moment for Palghar district badminton, confirming Nitesh Badminton Academy as one of the premier junior academies in the Mumbai Metropolitan Region.