THE GOAN NETWORK
PANAJI
Goa’s rising talent Aarush Pawaskar produced a sensational giant-killing run at the Victor Bulgaria Junior Open Badminton tournament 2026 in Pazardzhik, Bulgaria, storming into the semi-finals with a series of commanding performances against international opponents.
Aarush began his campaign with a dominant 21-3, 21-7 win over Viktor Minekov in the Round of 64, followed by a hard-fought three-game victory against Tedor Mitev (21-12, 20-22, 21-16) in the Round of 32. He continued his impressive form in the pre-quarterfinals, brushing aside Türkiye’s Fatih Erdogan 21-14, 21-8, before pulling off a remarkable comeback in the quarterfinals to defeat Singapore’s Lim Kai Shing Kaiser 9-21, 21-14, 21-18.
Riding high on confidence and form, Aarush will now take on Chinese Taipei’s Ming Chuan Li in the semi-finals, marking a significant milestone in his promising international career.
