Indian women’s badminton group pulled off a shocking 3-2 win towards Japan to attain the final of the Badminton Asia Team Championship 2024 on Saturday. Youngsters Anmol Kharb and Ashmita Chaliha registered spectacular wins to enhance India to their first-ever final look in event historical past.
The star badminton ace PV Sindhu misplaced her each singles and doubles matches in the semifinal however youngsters Gayatri Gopichand-Treesa Jolly, Ashmita Chaliha and Anmol Kharb had been prime of their recreation to stun Japan. India will likely be dealing with Thailand women in the final on Sunday who defeated the defending champions Indonesia in the second semifinal.Â
PV Sindhu misplaced her singles match towards Aya Ohori by 17-21, 20-22 after which India misplaced women’s doubles (Ashwini/Sindhu) towards Rena Ayako by 14-21, 11-21. But surprising triumphs from children created historical past in Shah Alam, Malaysia.
Gayatri Gopichand and Treesa Jolly, ranked 32, shocked world no.6 pair Nami Matsuyama-Chiharu Shida by 21-17, 16-21, 22-20. The 24-year-old Ashmita Chaliha defeated the world no.20 Nozomi Okuhara in two straight units of 21-17, 22-14 to stage the rating.
But it was a 17-year-old Anmol Kharb, ranked 472, pulled off an unattainable to beat the world no.29 Natsuki Nidaira by 21-14, 21-18 to take India women’s group to the final of the Badminton Asia Team Championship 2024.
Team India’s head coach and the previous ace Pullela Gopichand praised Anmol Kharb’s heroics in the semi-final and mentioned that the teenager can beat prime gamers due to her fearless gameplay.
“I think the result of the two matches is a testimony that she can beat top players,” Gopichand advised PTI. “To take the pressure on and show that kind of nerve, it is very refreshing. She is fearless. The kind of strokes that she plays, it all come naturally to her. She is reading the game well, you can see her intelligence. She played beautifully. Of course, opponents will read her game in time and that’s where she needs to rework on her mistakes but she has been phenomenal. She fought really well and she is naturally brave and intelligent.”
