Anmol Kharb (L) celebrates together with her group after successful in opposition to Thailand’s Pornpicha Choeikeewong of their women’s singles last match on the 2024 Badminton Asia Team Championships in Shah Alam, Selangor, on February, 18, 2024.
| Photo Credit: AFP
Indian women shuttlers made historical past this yr by claiming Gold within the Badminton Asia Team Championships — for the first time in historical past. Before the 2024 version, Indian women had by no means received a medal on this match’s group occasions which began in 2016. The males’s group had received bronze twice. From this historic win emerged a teen sensation — Anmol Kharb — who beat a lot higher-ranked and skilled gamers a number of instances within the match, serving to India safe this hard-fought victory.
Shuttler Ashmita Chaliha and doubles pair Treesa Jolly and Gayatri Gopichand Pullela — each 20-years-old — additionally defeated increased ranked gamers serving to India create historical past.
But unmistakably, Anmol was the star of the match. In the finals, P.V. Sindhu secured victory in opposition to Supanida Katethong of Thailand, ranked six positions under her, an anticipated win. Followed by the Treesa and Gayatri pair’s three-set thriller win in opposition to Rawinda Prajongjai & Jongkolphan Kititharakul of Thailand. India’s hopes have been excessive, just for Ashmita Chaliha and the doubles pair Priya Konjengbam and Shruti Mishra to lose the subsequent two matches organising a decider.
When the chips have been down, a Himalayan activity awaited — Anmol, a 17-year-old and ranked 472 on this planet, had to win in opposition to world no. 45 Pornpicha Choeikeewong — which she did by breezing previous the Thai participant with a 21-14, 21-9 win. This was a repeat act, for she had rescued India within the semifinals too, successful in opposition to world no. 29 and 25-year-old Japanese participant Natsuki Nidaira, once more with relative ease.
Also learn: Data | Indian shuttlers overcame poor head-to-head information and increased ranked gamers to win Thomas cup
This match win was a hard-fought victory provided that the Indian group largely confronted considerably higher-ranked opponents, notably within the semifinals and finals. With the exception of two-time Olympic medalist Sindhu, whose opponents ranked a number of positions under her in a lot of the matches, the other members of the Indian group had to battle and win in opposition to opponents ranked ten to thirty positions above them.
Table 1 | The desk exhibits the distinction in rankings as of February 13, 2024, between Indian gamers and their opponents within the knock-out rounds of the Badminton Asia Team Championships. The adverse quantity exhibits that India had an inferior rating.
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For occasion, within the semifinals, the world no. 23 pair Treesa and Gayatri confronted world no. 6 pair Nami Matsuyama and Chiharu Shida from Japan and emerged victorious. They upset world no. 10 Thai pair Rawinda Prajongjai and Jongkolphan Kititharakul to give India a 2-0 lead within the finals.
Table 2 | The desk exhibits the phases reached by choose Asian nations within the women’s championship.
DNQ: Did not qualify | DNP: Did not play | QF: Quarterfinals | SF: Semifinals | R: Runner up | W: Winner
Japan has received Gold twice, with China and Indonesia additionally securing the top-spot as soon as. South Korea had received silver twice. India has simply entered the medals desk this yr.
Table 3 | The desk exhibits the phases reached by choose Asian nations within the males’s championship.
Here, whereas India managed to safe bronze twice, they by no means reached the finals.
What’s extra beautiful is that India entered this match with no single women’s participant within the high ten rankings in each singles and doubles. Sindhu was ranked eleventh in singles, the very best rating Indian girl. Tanisha Crasto and Ashwini Ponappa have been ranked twenty first in doubles, the very best rating Indian women’s pair. Whereas, China had 4 and three gamers within the top-ten rankings in singles and doubles, respectively. Japan had three doubles gamers within the top-ten rankings.
This was really a win for the ages.
vignesh.r@thehindu.co.in, rebecca.varghese@thehindu.co.in
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