New Delhi: International Master Raghunandan K S of Karnataka, will start as the top seed and hot favorite in the National Sub-Junior (Open & Girls) championship which starts here at Indira Gandhi Stadium from Sunday.  Already 330 players from different part of India are registered for this nine day long event.

Looking for title, Raghunandan will however face stiff challenge in the championship from the likes of defending champion Iniyan P, Fide Master Rathanvel V S of Tamilnadu, third seed Rahul Srivatshav of Telangana  and Fide Master Rakesh Kumar Jena of Odisha.

 Meanwhile in the girl’s section, Arpita Mukherjee of West Bengal starts as top seed while former World Youth Gold Medalist Priyanka Nutakki of Andhra Pradesh, local hope and former World Youth Medalist Vantika Agrawal, fourth seed Priyanka K of Tamilnadu will give tough challenge to top seed’s title hopes in this 11 round Swiss System event.