Monday , December 23 2024

Indian women in BATC final

The Indian women's team continued its stellar performance by defeating two-time former champions Japan 3-2 in a thrilling final on Saturday and entered the final of the Badminton Asia Team Championship (BATC), where they will face Thailand on Sunday. Trisha Jolly and Gayatri Gopichand played the first doubles, 53rd seed Asmita Chaliha played the second singles and 17-year-old Anmol Kharab played a key role in taking India to the final by winning the decisive singles match. Olympic medalist PV Sindhu lost to Aya Ohori 13-21, 20-22 in the first singles.

Trisha and Gayatri won the first doubles against sixth-seeded pair of Naomi Matsuyama and Chiharu Shida 21-17, 16-21, 22-20 to level India's score at 1-1 after a 73-minute battle. Asmita showed an aggressive game against former world champion Nozomi Okuhara and kept the Japanese player under constant pressure with her cross shots and smashes. Asmita won 21-17, 21-14 and gave India a 2-1 lead. Sindhu partnered Ashwini Ponnappa but the pair were tied 2-2 against 11th seeded pair of Rena Miyaura and Ayako Sakuramoto, losing 14-21, 11-21 in 43 minutes. India's Anmol defeated world number 29 Natsuki Ndaira 21-14, 21-18 in the decisive singles match in fifty-two minutes, taking the Indian women's team to the final for the first time. India will try to win the gold medal in this championship for the first time.