Jamshedpur, Feb. 1: B. Chetan Anand and Aparna Popat, defending men?s and women?s singles champions, look set to retain the title in the 69th Senior National Badminton Championship for the Vikas Topiwala Challenge Cup and the Olympian Badminton Challenge Cup respectively that begins tomorrow.

Arvind Bhatt and Trupti Murgunde, both from Petroleum Sports Promotion Board (PSPB), are the top seeds in men?s and women?s singles. The pair of Sanave Thomas/K.T. Rupesh Kumar and B.R. Meenakshi/C.H. Deepti share the honour in the men?s and women?s doubles respectively. Marcos Bristow/B.R. Meenakshi are top seeds in the mixed doubles. The senior nationals will lose some shine due to the absence of top shuttler P. Gopichand and Sachin Ratti, ranked ninth in the country.

Chetan seemed in fine nick yesterday during the opening day of the 60th Inter-State Zonal Meet for Rahimtoola and Chadha Cup. Chetan, will face top players, including Arvind, Anup Sridhar and Nikhil Kanetkar, to defend the men?s singles crown for the Vikas Topivala Challenge Cup.

Trupti will take on the Meenakshi, Aparna Popat, Shruti Kurien and Jwala Gutta in her pursuit for the women?s singles title.

The pair of Trupti and Fatima Nazneen of Kerala is seeded third in the women?s doubles for the All-Indian Badminton Association Cup.

The men pairs will fight it out for the doubles title for the Calcutta Badminton Cup. Players will vie for top honours in the mixed doubles for the Burdwan Challenge Cup.