New Delhi, July 17 (SocialNews.XYZ) India's star doubles shuttler Chirag Shetty has recalled one of the most memorable moments of his career, when the iconic Indian song Jai Ho echoed through the arena in Hangzhou after he and Satwiksairaj Rankireddy clinched badminton gold at the Asian Games 2023, a triumph that also coincided with their rise to World No. 1.

Chirag revealed that becoming the world's top-ranked men's doubles pair took a back seat during the tournament as his only focus was winning the gold medal.

After battling illness throughout the Games, Chirag said his coach informed him after the semifinal that he had become World No. 1.

"Our coach told me, 'You've become World No. 1.' I said, 'Don't tell me that. I don't care if we've become World No. 1. I want to win the tournament. Winning that title along with becoming World No. 1 is one of the best moments I've had," Chirag said in an upcoming episode of the Quest Talk podcast by iQOO.

"After we won the final, they played a Hindi song. In China, they started playing 'Jai Ho'. We started dancing on the court. I threw my T-shirt into the crowd. That's how we celebrated. Especially when you're not in India, and a different country is playing a song from your country, it feels extremely special," he added.

Chirag also revealed the extent of his physical struggle during the Asian Games after contracting influenza.

"A day before my match, I had really high fever. It was so bad that I couldn't even walk to the bathroom. I still don't know how I managed it," he said.

The former World No. 1 admitted that achieving the top ranking had been a childhood dream, but said success had also taught him the importance of staying focused on the process rather than chasing outcomes.

"As a kid, my aim was to become World No. 1 at some point. But the next day I realised I had another tournament to prepare for," he recalled.

The 27-year-old believes long-term success comes from enjoying the journey instead of obsessing over titles.

"I always tell everyone not to think about the end goal. That is just a by-product. The amount of effort you've put in makes you happier than winning the title," he said.

Source: IANS

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New Delhi, July 17 (SocialNews.XYZ) India's star doubles shuttler Chirag Shetty says he and long-time partner Satwiksairaj Rankireddy are fully focused on making the most of two of the biggest events on the badminton calendar this year, the BWF World Championships and the Asian Games.

Reflecting on his journey and future ambitions during a podcast, Chirag said the pair's immediate objective is to peak for the two marquee tournaments.

"So, this year, I think we have the World Championships and the Asian Games. I think that is one major event we want to really go all out in. And the Asian Games as well," Chirag said in an upcoming episode of the Quest Talk podcast by iQOO.

Satwiksairaj and Chirag made history at the 2023 Asian Games (held in Hangzhou) by winning India’s first-ever badminton gold medal. The star men's doubles pair defeated South Korea's Choi Sol-gyu and Kim Won-ho in straight games (21-18, 21-16) to claim the historic title. They will look to defend the title when they start their campaign at the Asian Games 2026 on September 20.

Before the Asian Games, the duo will begin their BWF World Championship campaign in New Delhi directly in the round of 64 or round of 32, as they have received a bye in the first round. The tournament runs from August 17 to August 23, 2026, at the Indira Gandhi Indoor Stadium.

Chirag also encouraged young athletes to enjoy their sport instead of putting pressure on themselves to achieve results at an early age.

"The day you stop enjoying the process is the day you stop playing badminton. Talent alone is never enough. Talent with hard work will take you to the ultimate best. Hard work will always help you reach a very good level," he said.

The Indian doubles ace also urged parents to support rather than pressure their children.

"I feel parents these days are more interested in their kids becoming champions than the kids themselves. Parents should guide and support them. If they have the talent, intent and work ethic, they will eventually become champions," Chirag added.

Source: IANS

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Tokyo, July 17 (SocialNews.XYZ) Indian ace shuttler PV Sindhu reached the Japan Open semifinals after a withdrawal from her Japanese opponent Nozomi Okuhara here on Friday.

This marked Sindhu's third semifinal of the season, after the Malaysian Super 1000 and Australia Super 500. Moreover, this is her first Super 750 semi-final since the 2023 Denmark Open.

The 31-year-old Indian, is chasing her first title of the season, will face Tokyo Olympic champion and world No. 4 Chinese shuttler Chen Yufei, whom she trails 6-8 in the head-to-head record.

Sindhu has suffered a loss in the last five meeting with YuFei. A victory in the semifinal would not only end Sindhu's that losing streak but also secure Sindhu’s first Super 750 final in nearly three years.

The two-time Olympic medallist, who is the only Indian challenger left standing at the of the BWF Super 750 tournament, defeated world No. 5 Han Yue of China 21-16, 21-14 in just 35 minutes to make the final eight.

This year, YuFei, 28, won the Indonesia Masters and advanced to the Super 500 finals in Thailand and Malaysia. She also regularly made it to the semifinals of the Super 750s in Singapore and India, as well as the Super 1000s Malaysia Open and All England.

Earlier, India's mixed doubles pair of Dhruv Kapila and Tanisha Crasto bowed out after losing 20-22, 17-21 to China's Feng Yan Zhe and Huang Dong Ping in the pre-quarterfinals.

India's challenge suffered another setback in the women's singles draw, where Unnati Hooda was beaten by Chinese Taipei's Huang Yu-Hsun despite taking the second game.

India had already lost both of its men's doubles combinations on Tuesday after Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty, along with MR Arjun and Hariharan Amsakarunan, bowed out in the opening round, with the former pair sustaining another injury.

Source: IANS

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Tokyo, July 16 (SocialNews.XYZ) PV Sindhu delivered a statement performance at the Japan Open Super 750 on Thursday, defeating world No. 5 Han Yue of China in straight games to secure her place in the women's singles quarterfinals.

The two-time Olympic medallist produced a composed and attacking display to seal a 21-16, 21-14 victory in just 35 minutes, extending her dominant head-to-head record over the Chinese shuttler to 8-1.

The result marked one of Sindhu's most convincing outings of the season, with the former world champion overcoming an early challenge before taking complete control of the contest against the fifth seed.

The opening exchanges were closely contested as Han Yue looked to dictate the pace, but Sindhu gradually settled into the match. Once she found her range, the Indian began controlling the rallies with precise shot placement and greater aggression from the baseline. Her improved consistency helped her pull away in the latter stages of the first game, which she wrapped up 21-16.

Any hopes of a Chinese comeback were quickly extinguished after the change of ends. Sindhu stormed into the second game with relentless intensity, reeling off eight consecutive points to establish a commanding 8-0 advantage. Although Han Yue managed to reduce the deficit with a brief fightback, Sindhu remained unfazed, maintaining her accuracy and court coverage before closing out the match 21-14 to complete a comprehensive victory.

The win sends the world No. 10 into the quarterfinals, where she will take on Japan's former world champion Nozomi Okuhara. Okuhara advanced after top seed and reigning world No. 1 An Se-young of South Korea withdrew from their second-round encounter.

Sindhu is now India's only remaining contender in the tournament after the country's mixed doubles campaign came to an end earlier in the day.

Dhruv Kapila and Tanisha Crasto pushed China's top seeds Feng Yan Zhe and Huang Dong Ping in a competitive opening game but eventually went down 20-22, 17-21 in the pre-quarterfinals. The Indian pair battled for 47 minutes before bowing out against one of the world's strongest mixed doubles combinations.

With Lakshya Sen, Ayush Shetty and Unnati Hooda having exited in the opening round, Sindhu's emphatic victory ensured India's challenge remains alive heading into the business end of the tournament.

Source: IANS

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Tokyo, July 15 (SocialNews.XYZ) India's hopes in the men's singles draw at the Japan Open 2026 came to an abrupt end on Wednesday after Lakshya Sen and Ayush Shetty were both eliminated in their opening-round matches at the BWF Super 750 tournament, while Unnati Hooda also exited the women's singles competition.

Lakshya, seeded among the tournament's leading contenders by virtue of his world No. 14 ranking, was unable to counter home favourite Koki Watanabe, who secured a comfortable 21-16, 21-14 victory in front of the Japanese crowd at the Tokyo Metropolitan Gymnasium.

The Indian found himself chasing the contest from the outset as Watanabe established commanding leads at the mid-game intervals in both sets. Despite attempting to claw his way back, Lakshya failed to shift the momentum and the Japanese shuttler wrapped up the match in just 38 minutes. The defeat also handed Watanabe his third victory in seven meetings against the Indian.

Ayush Shetty came significantly closer to extending his stay in the tournament but eventually fell short against world No. 2 Kunlavut Vitidsarn in a three-game battle.

The Thai star edged a tightly contested opening game 21-19 after holding a slender advantage for much of the set. Ayush responded impressively in the second game, recovering from four match points before prevailing 25-23 in a tense finish to force the decider.

However, the momentum proved short-lived as Kunlavut regained control in the third game, closing out a 21-15 victory to improve his head-to-head record against Ayush to 2-1.

India's challenge also suffered another setback in the women's singles draw, where Unnati Hooda was beaten by Chinese Taipei's Huang Yu-Hsun despite taking the second game. After dropping the opener 21-16, Unnati fought back to level the contest with a 21-16 win before Huang sealed the deciding game 21-15 to advance.

With the latest exits, India's campaign in the singles events has narrowed considerably. Two-time Olympic medallist PV Sindhu remains the country's only surviving singles player in Tokyo, while mixed doubles pair Tanisha Crasto and Dhruv Kapila are also still in contention.

India had already lost both of its men's doubles combinations on Tuesday after Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty, along with MR Arjun and Hariharan Amsakarunan, bowed out in the opening round, with the former pair sustaining another injury.

Source: IANS

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Tokyo, July 14 (SocialNews.XYZ) Two-time Olympic medallist P.V. Sindhu and the mixed doubles pair of Dhruv Kapila and Tanisha Crasto advanced to the second round of the Japan Open 2026 after registering straight-game victories in their respective opening-round matches at the BWF Super 750 tournament in the Japanese capital on Tuesday.

The 2019 BWF Champion defeated Malaysia's Wong Ling Ching 21-14, 21-11 in just 36 minutes to make a confident start to her campaign. Dhruv and Tanisha also progressed with a 21-16, 21-14 win over Scotland's Alexander Dunn and Julie Macpherson.

However, Rohan Kapoor and Ruthvika Shivani Gadde bowed out in the mixed doubles after losing 11-21, 10-21 to top seeds Feng Yan Zhe and Huang Dong Ping of China.

In men's doubles, Hariharan Amsakarunan and M.R. Arjun fought back to win the second game before going down 13-21, 21-17, 7-21 to Chinese Taipei's Lee Jhe-Huei and Yang Po-Hsuan.

Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty also exited in the opening round after retiring against Denmark's Daniel Lundgaard and Mads Vestergaard following the first game due to Satwik's recurring shoulder injury.

Returning to competition for the first time since withdrawing from the Indonesia Open in June, the world No. 4 duo could not complete their comeback match against Denmark's Daniel Lundgaard and Mads Vestergaard. The Indians dropped a closely-fought opening game 19-21 before deciding not to continue, with Satwik once again troubled by the shoulder injury that has sidelined the pair for the past month.

The latest setback also rules the pair out of next week's China Open, as the duo now looks to prepare themselves for the BWF World Championships in India next month.

The injury comes just weeks after Satwik and Chirag had ended a two-year wait for a BWF World Tour title by lifting the Singapore Open crown in May, only for Satwik to aggravate his shoulder problem during the opening round in Indonesia.

The tournament, carrying a prize purse of USD 950,000, is a key stop on the BWF World Tour as players chase crucial ranking points ahead of next month's World Championships in New Delhi and the Asian Games later this year.

The field boasts several of the sport's biggest names, including world No. 1 Shi Yu Qi, Anders Antonsen, Kunlavut Vitidsarn, and Kodai Naraoka in men's singles, while defending champion An Se Young, Wang Zhi Yi, Chen Yu Fei, and four-time winner Akane Yamaguchi headline the women's draw.

India is yet to win a Japan Open title, and the contingent will be eager to end that drought while building momentum ahead of two of the biggest events on the 2026 badminton calendar.

Results (Round 1):

Women's Singles: P V Sindhu bt Wong Ling Ching (Malaysia) 21-14, 21-11.

Mixed Doubles: Dhruv Kapila/Tanisha Crasto bt Alexander Dunn/Julie Macpherson (Scotland) 21-16, 21-14.

Mixed Doubles: Feng Yan Zhe/Huang Dong Ping (China) bt Rohan Kapoor/Ruthvika Shivani Gadde 21-11, 21-10.

Men's Doubles: Daniel Lundgaard/Mads Vestergaard (Denmark) bt Satwiksairaj Rankireddy/Chirag Shetty 21-19 (retired).

Men's Doubles: Lee Jhe-Huei/Yang Po-Hsuan (Chinese Taipei) bt Hariharan Amsakarunan/M.R. Arjun 21-13, 17-21, 21-7.

Source: IANS

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Tokyo, July 15 (SocialNews.XYZ) India's campaign at the Japan Open suffered an early setback after star men's doubles pair Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty were forced to retire from their opening-round contest due to Satwik's recurring shoulder injury, while two-time Olympic medallist PV Sindhu made a confident start by advancing to the women's singles second round on Tuesday.

Returning to competition for the first time since withdrawing from the Indonesia Open in June, the world No. 4 duo could not complete their comeback match against Denmark's Daniel Lundgaard and Mads Vestergaard. The Indians dropped a closely-fought opening game 19-21 before deciding not to continue, with Satwik once again troubled by the shoulder injury that has sidelined the pair for the past month.

The latest setback also rules the pair out of next week's China Open, as the duo now look to prepare themselves for the BWF World Championships in India next month.

The injury comes just weeks after Satwik and Chirag had ended a two-year wait for a BWF World Tour title by lifting the Singapore Open crown in May, only for Satwik to aggravate his shoulder problem during the opening round in Indonesia.

Sindhu, meanwhile, ensured there was positive news for India with a commanding 21-14, 21-11 victory over Malaysia's Wong Ling Ching in just 35 minutes.

The world No. 10 dictated the rallies from the outset, building a healthy advantage midway through the opening game before mixing aggressive smashes with delicate net play to move ahead by one game. She maintained the same intensity after the change of ends, racing to an 11-3 interval lead in the second game and never allowing her opponent back into the contest.

The victory extended Sindhu's unbeaten record against Wong to 3-0 and booked her place in the second round of the BWF Super 750 event.

India also enjoyed success in the mixed doubles draw as Dhruv Kapila and Tanisha Crasto progressed with a 21-16, 21-14 win over Scotland's Alexander Dunn and Julie Macpherson.

However, Rohan Kapoor and Ruthvika Shivani Gadde bowed out after suffering an 11-21, 10-21 defeat to top-seeded Chinese pair Feng Yanzhe and Huang Dongping in the opening round.

India's campaign will continue on Wednesday, with Lakshya Sen and Unnati Hooda set to begin their singles campaigns, while Hariharan Amsakarunan and MR Arjun are scheduled to face Chinese Taipei's Lee Jhe-Huei and Yang Po-Hsuan in the men's doubles first round.

Source: IANS

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Tokyo, July 13 (SocialNews.XYZ) India's top badminton stars will be back in action at the BWF Japan Open Super 750, beginning Tuesday at the Tokyo Metropolitan Gymnasium, with the return of Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty headlining the country's campaign.

The tournament, carrying a prize purse of USD 950,000, is a key stop on the BWF World Tour as players chase crucial ranking points ahead of next month's World Championships in New Delhi and the Asian Games later this year.

The spotlight will be on Satwik and Chirag, who return for the first time since the Indonesia Open in June, where Satwik aggravated a shoulder injury. The setback forced the former Asian Games champions to miss four tournaments, halting their momentum soon after they snapped a two-year BWF World Tour title drought by winning the Singapore Open in May.

Seeded third, the world No. 4 pair will begin their campaign against Denmark's Mads Vestergaard and Daniel Lundgaard. India's men's doubles challenge also includes MR Arjun and Hariharan Amsakarunan, who arrive in Tokyo after consecutive quarter-final finishes in Indonesia and Australia.

In men's singles, Lakshya Sen returns after his Indonesia Open appearance and opens against Japan's Kenta Watanabe, while Ayush Shetty faces a stern first-round test against former world champion Kunlavut Vitidsarn of Thailand.

Two-time Olympic medallist PV Sindhu, who has not competed since reaching the Australian Open semi-finals last month, will begin her campaign against Malaysia's Wong Ling Ching. Youngster Unnati Hooda will face Chinese Taipei's Huang Yu-Hsun in the opening round.

India's mixed doubles hopes rest with Olympian Tanisha Crasto and Dhruv Kapila, alongside Rohan Kapoor and Ruthvika Shivani Gadde. However, the country will have no representation in women's doubles after Treesa Jolly and Gayatri Gopichand Pullela withdrew ahead of the tournament.

The field boasts several of the sport's biggest names, including world No. 1 Shi Yu Qi, Anders Antonsen, Kunlavut Vitidsarn, and Kodai Naraoka in men's singles, while defending champion An Se Young, Wang Zhi Yi, Chen Yu Fei, and four-time winner Akane Yamaguchi headline the women's draw.

India is yet to win a Japan Open title, and the contingent will be eager to end that drought while building momentum ahead of two of the biggest events on the 2026 badminton calendar.

When: The tournament will kick off on Tuesday, July 14

Where: Tokyo Metropolitan Gymnasium, Japan

Where to watch: The Japan Open matches will be available to watch on the BWF TV YouTube channel in India.

India squad:

Men's Singles: Lakshya Sen, Ayush Shetty

Women's Singles: P.V. Sindhu, Unnati Hooda

Men's Doubles: Satwiksairaj Rankireddy - Chirag Shetty, Hariharan Amsakarunan - MR Arjun

Mixed Doubles: Dhruv Kapila - Tanisha Crasto, Rohan Kapoor - Ruthvika Gadde

Source: IANS

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New Delhi, July 2 (SocialNews.XYZ) In a bid to prepare Indian shuttlers well ahead of the Badminton World Federation's (BWF) planned global rollout, the Badminton Association of India (BAI) will introduce the new 3x15 scoring system across all domestic tournaments from July 2026, beginning with the All India Senior Ranking Badminton Tournament in Ernakulam from July 7-14.

The early adoption aims to give players, coaches, and technical officials sufficient competitive exposure to the revised format before it becomes the international standard from January 2027. BAI believes the move will help Indian badminton maintain its competitive edge by ensuring athletes adapt to the tactical and physical demands of the shorter format well in advance.

Under the revised rules, matches will continue to follow a best-of-three-games, rally-point format, but each game will now be played to 15 points instead of 21. A player or pair must still win by two points after 14-all, with each game capped at 21 points, where the next point after 20-all decides the winner.

The shorter format is expected to make matches faster-paced, intensify momentum swings, and place a greater premium on tactical execution and quick decision-making.

Explaining the rationale behind the move, BAI General Secretary Sanjay Mishra said the federation wanted all stakeholders to become familiar with the revised scoring format before its international implementation.

“In order to ensure uniformity in competition, facilitate better preparation, and enable players, coaches, technical officials, and all stakeholders to become fully accustomed to the new scoring format well before its proposed implementation by the Badminton World Federation (BWF) from January 2027 onwards, it has been decided to further extend the implementation of the 3x15 scoring system. This decision has been taken to ensure that players across all age groups develop familiarity and competitive adaptability to the revised scoring format, thereby ensuring a smooth transition when the system is adopted internationally,” he said.

The rule changes also include revised match procedures. The mid-game interval will now be taken when the leading player or pair reaches eight points instead of 11, with a 60-second break and a change of ends in the deciding game. The two-minute interval between games remains unchanged, while the winner of the previous game will continue to serve first.

The new scoring format will be implemented uniformly across India's domestic badminton calendar, covering Zonal Championships, Ranking Tournaments, and National Championships. It will be applicable across all age groups, from Under-11 to Senior and Masters (Veterans), creating a consistent competitive structure throughout the domestic circuit ahead of the BWF's worldwide transition in 2027.

Source: IANS

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Ontario, July 2 (SocialNews.XYZ) India's campaign at the Canada Open 2026 endured a difficult opening day as seven of the nine singles players crashed out in the first round, with former world No. 1 Kidambi Srikanth's run ending prematurely due to injury at the Markham Pan Am Centre on Thursday.

Facing Malaysia's Lee Zii Jia in one of the marquee men's singles contests, Srikanth was forced to retire while trailing 11-10 in the opening game, bringing an abrupt end to a contest that had promised to be closely fought. The setback came just a week after the Indian had defeated Lee en route to finishing runner-up at the US Open. The result also extended Lee's head-to-head advantage to 6-3 over Srikanth.

India's hopes in the men's singles draw quickly faded after Srikanth's exit, with Saneeth Dayanand and Sankar Subramanian also bowing out in their opening-round matches.

Third seed Yudai Okimoto of Japan proved too strong for Saneeth, securing a dominant 21-7, 21-11 victory in straight games.

Sankar Subramanian showed early promise by taking the opening game against South Korea's Yoo Tae-bin, but was unable to maintain the momentum, eventually going down 19-21, 21-15, 21-15 in three games.

The women's singles draw offered the only bright spots for the Indian contingent as Tanya Hemnath and Aakarshi Kashyap progressed to the second round with convincing victories.

Tanya overcame USA's Disha Gupta 21-16, 21-18 to book a meeting with Japan's Riko Gunji in the round of 16.

Aakarshi, the Commonwealth Games bronze medallist, also advanced comfortably after dispatching France's Anna Tatranova 21-14, 21-12. She will now face fourth seed Beiwen Zhang of the United States for a place in the quarter-finals.

The remainder of India's women's singles campaign, however, ended on the opening day.

World No. 33 Devika Sihag, India's highest-ranked women's singles player in the tournament, suffered a straight-games defeat, while Shriyanshi Valishetty also exited without taking a game.

Rakshitha Ramraj stretched Canada's Rachel Chan but lost 15-21, 21-14, 21-15 after surrendering the opening-game advantage.

Anmol Kharb fought hard against top seed Michelle Li, recovering to claim the second game after saving match points, but the Canadian eventually sealed a 21-6, 24-26, 21-13 victory to end the Indian teenager's challenge.

India had also lost its only men's doubles representatives before the singles action gathered pace, with Achutaditya Rao Doddavarapu and Arjun Reddy Pochana making an early exit from the BWF Super 300 tournament.

With just Tanya Hemnath and Aakarshi Kashyap left in contention, India's hopes at the Canada Open now rest solely on the women's singles pair as the tournament heads into the second round.

Source: IANS

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Yatsushiro (Japan), July 1 (SocialNews.XYZ) Dhyan Santosh upset sixth seed Punnatat Prempunpong of Thailand while Dev Ruparelia and Tanvi Patri registered contrasting victories in the first round of the Badminton Asia Junior Championships in Yatsushiro, Japan, on Wednesday.

Dhyan Santosh put up a clinical show to beat Prempunpong 21-17, 21-18 in boys' singles first round on an otherwise mixed day for the Indian contingent.

Tanvi Patri breezed through her girls' singles opening round, beating Indonesia’s Christabel Purwanto 21-18, 21-6, while fifth seed Ruparelia was pushed to a third game by Sri Lanka’s Pamudu Randiligama 21-13, 16-21, 21-7.

Among the other Indians in action, Adarshini Shri defeated Lee Kay Xin of Malaysia 21-12, 21-12, while Abhinav Garg went down 21-13, 24-22 against Lucas Lee of Malaysia.

Earlier, India’s campaign in the Mixed Team competition in the Badminton Asia Junior Championships came to an end at the quarterfinal stage as they went down to Hong Kong 2-1 on Monday.

India started strong in the opening set with Dev Ruparelia and Tanvi Patri giving the team a strong start as India led 22-12 after two matches. The doubles combinations then ensured that there were no hiccups as they clinched the set 55-44.

But the start of the second game turned things around for Hong Kong as Can Yee Hei beat Ruparelia 11-8 and IP Sum Yau extended their lead to 22-16. The doubles combinations could not cut down the deficit as the match went into a decider.

Ruparelia once again gave India a lead by beating Chan 11-9, but Ip managed to close the gap to 22-21.

The mixed doubles combination of Bjorn Jaison and Dianka Waldia kept India ahead with a 33-32 lead as the match against Cheung Sai Shing and Wing Chi Chu ended 11-11.

Tanvi Reddy Andluri and Baruni Parshwal went down to Chu and Yi Kiu Yu 5-11, and India could not recover from that and lost the set 55-43.

Source: IANS

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Kuala Lumpur, June 30 (SocialNews.XYZ) The India Open Super 750 will be held in February 2027 and at the end of January 2028, after the Badminton World Federation (BWF) on Tuesday unveiled its 35-tournament World Tour calendar for the next two seasons.

India's top badminton tournament was originally set for January 13 to 18 in the year 2026, at the Indira Gandhi Indoor Stadium in New Delhi. It will now be held from February 2 to 7, 2027, and January 25 to 30, 2028.

The BWF also announced that the Syed Modi India International has been downgraded to a Super 100 tournament. This event in Lucknow will take place from July 27 to August 1, 2027, and from July 25 to 30, 2028.

The governing body revealed a global circuit of 35 tournaments for both 2027 and 2028. This schedule includes events ranging from Super 1000 to Super 100, along with the season-ending World Tour Finals.

The top level of the calendar will feature five Super 1000 tournaments across Asia and Europe. These competitions will last 11 days over two weekends, including a 48-player singles draw with a group stage followed by knockout rounds, along with a 32-pair doubles knockout draw. The BWF stated that all 1,095 matches in the Super 1000 tournaments will be broadcast worldwide.

BWF president Khunying Patama Leeswadtrakul mentioned that the updated calendar prioritises players' well-being. She said, "Our players are at the heart of everything we do. As global ambassadors and icons of our sport, they deserve an environment that allows them to perform at their best, recover properly, and connect meaningfully with fans around the world."

She added, "The improvements in this calendar, like the longer competition windows, aim to enhance playing conditions for our top athletes. They provide better scheduling and more recovery time between matches. This supports players in their pursuit of excellence and helps them maintain longer, more successful careers. At the same time, we now have a high-quality, globally balanced circuit of unprecedented scale, with more televised matches reaching more markets. This creates greater opportunities for players and boosts badminton's global presence and impact."

As part of its long-term modernisation plan, the BWF also confirmed that all tournaments from January 4, 2027, will follow the new 3x15 scoring system, replacing the current format.

The qualification window for the LA28 Olympic Games will be from May 3, 2027, to April 30, 2028. The BWF added that the dates and host cities for the 2027 Sudirman Cup Finals, 2027 World Championships, and 2028 Thomas & Uber Cup Finals will be announced later.

Source: IANS

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Yatsushiro (Japan), June 29 (SocialNews.XYZ) India’s campaign in the Badminton Asia Junior Mixed team championships came to an end at the quarterfinal stage as they went down against Hong Kong 2-1 here on Monday.

India started strong in the opening set with Dev Ruparelia and Tanvi Patri giving the team a strong start as India led 22-12 after two matches. The doubles combinations then ensured that there were no hiccups as they clinched the set 55-44.

But the start of the second game turned things around for Hong Kong as Can Yee Hei beat Ruparelia 11-8 and IP Sum Yau extended their lead to 22-16. The doubles combinations could not cut down the deficit as the match went into a decider.

Ruparelia once again gave India a lead by beating Chan 11-9, but Ip managed to close the gap to 22-21.

The mixed doubles combination of Bjorn Jaison and Dianka Waldia kept India ahead with a 33-32 as the match against Cheung Sai Shing and Wing Chi Chu ended 11-11.

Tanvi Reddy Andluri and Baruni Parshwal went down to Chu and Yi Kiu Yu 5-11 and India could not recover from that and lost the set 55-43.

The 26th edition of the junior continental badminton championships will be held in two parts - the team event from June 26 to 30 and individual events from July 1 to 5.

The team event adopted a relay format, with the first side to reach 110 points declared the winner. The individual events will begin after the conclusion of the mixed team competition.

India’s challenge at the 2026 Badminton Asia Junior Championships was spearheaded by the duo of Tanvi Patri and Abhinav Garg who will feature in the 19-member Indian squad for the championship.

Source: IANS

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Fullerton (US), June 29 (SocialNews.XYZ) Former World No. 1 Kidambi Srikanth's wait for a BWF World Tour title was extended further after he went down against Chinese Taipei’s Su Li Yang in the men’s semifinals of the US Open Badminton tournament here on Sunday.

The 33-year-old, facing an opponent who is nine years younger to him, pushed himself to find that winning momentum but could not avoid a 21-15, 16-21, 21-9 loss in an hour and nine minutes.

"I just feel like whatever I’ve been doing is working. I just have to keep working hard. I feel I’m there, but it’s about winning those crucial points. He (Su Li Yang) has been playing really well over the last few months. It’s a day when he played exceptionally well during the points that mattered," said Srikanth, who have not won a BWF Tour title since his 2017 French Open win.

Srikanth and Su Li-yang have met twice previously, with both players winning one match each. Prior to the US Open final, their most recent encounter came in the round of 16 at the Thailand Open in May, where Su Li-yang prevailed in three games.

It was Su who got off the blocks fast in the opening game as he took a 10-5 lead. Srikanth levelled the scores at 10-10 before the Taipei shuttler won seven consecutive points to runaway with the game.

Srikanth kept pace with Su in the second game for the first half and then changed the tempo to move from 15-13 to 20-13 before converting his fourth game point. However, the effort did take a toll on Srikanth’s tired legs.

Though he stayed neck-and-neck with Su till 9-7, the 24-year-old then took eight straight points to seal the match.

“I can’t believe I did it. I’m just happy and excited. In the final game, we both were tired, so I told myself to keep the focus and keep pushing myself, and to trust myself. I’m very proud of myself. I worked very hard, I really wanted to win a World Tour title. This is my first World Tour title. I trust and believe that I can win more," said Su on his maiden BWF Tour title.

En route to the final, Srikanth produced the tournament's ultimate act of sportsmanship during a tense semifinal moment; when officials refused to correct a wrong call despite heavy protests, he walked up to the referee to concede, handing the point back to Japan’s Okimoto.

Source: IANS

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New Delhi, June 28 (SocialNews.XYZ) With 50 days to go until the BWF World Championships 2026 in New Delhi, the Badminton Association of India (BAI) on Sunday began the official countdown to badminton's biggest tournament.

Scheduled from August 17–23 at the Indira Gandhi Indoor Stadium, the Championships will feature participation from over 55+ countries with nearly 800 players, team officials, support staff, technical officials, media, etc, marking the event's return to India after 17 years and its first-ever staging in the national capital.

BAI President, Himanta Biswa Sarma, described the return of the BWF World Championships as a defining moment. "The BWF World Championships is an opportunity to celebrate the remarkable progress of Indian badminton, showcase India's capability to deliver a world-class sporting event, and reinforce our commitment to building a stronger sporting ecosystem. It also reflects the growing confidence of the international sporting community in India's ability to host events of the highest standard.”

The 30th edition of the Championships will bring together the world's elite across all five disciplines: Men's Singles, Women's Singles, Men's Doubles, Women's Doubles, and Mixed Doubles.

“I am confident this Championship will leave a lasting legacy for badminton, inspire many more young Indians to dream big, and further strengthen our journey towards becoming a leading sporting nation,” he added.

Returning to the host role as an established force, India welcomes the global elite on the heels of an unprecedented golden era. Since 2011, India has won at least one medal at every single edition of the BWF World Championships, amassing 14 medals across 11 consecutive editions, a record in consistency matched only by China

Two-time Olympic and five-time World Championships medalist PV Sindhu, whose historic 2019 Basel gold remains the centrepiece of India's World Championship legacy, expressed her excitement for the home tournament.

“The World Championships have been one of the most special tournaments of my career. Some of my most memorable moments, toughest lessons and proudest achievements have come on this stage. To have the opportunity to play the World Championships in India, in front of our own fans, makes it even more meaningful. It's not often that you get to compete for a world title at home, and I'm really looking forward to experiencing that atmosphere and giving my best for everyone who has supported me through the years. For Indian badminton, hosting the World Championships after 17 years is a landmark moment and a reflection of how far the sport has come in our country. It's a proud occasion for all of us, and I'm excited to be part of an event that I hope inspires many more young players to dream big and believe that they can succeed on the world stage," said Sindhu.

For India's current generation of superstars, playing a World Championship in front of a home crowd is a historic first.

“Indian badminton is at a very exciting stage in its journey. Across the international circuit, we are seeing our young players consistently making breakthroughs, while our experienced athletes continue to compete with the world's best and regularly reach the latter stages of major tournaments. That depth and consistency are clear indicators of how far the sport has progressed in our country. Hosting the BWF World Championships at this moment is both a recognition of India's growing stature in world badminton and an opportunity to build on that momentum. Beyond the competition, the Championships will inspire a new generation of young Indians to pick up a racquet, dream bigger and help shape the future of Indian badminton,” said Sanjay Mishra, General Secretary, Badminton Association of India.

The grid assembling in New Delhi represents the absolute pinnacle of badminton. South Korea’s reigning Olympic champion An Se-young headlines the women’s singles field, while China’s Shi Yu Qi and Thailand’s Kunlavut Vitidsarn spearhead a highly competitive Men's Singles line-up. The action is equally intense in the doubles divisions, which feature a world-class field including Malaysia’s former world champions Aaron Chia and Soh Wooi Yik alongside Indonesia's top-tier pairings. With traditional powerhouses Japan, Thailand, and Denmark also deploying their strongest squads, the tournament is primed to deliver a premium sporting spectacle.

Source: IANS

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Fullerton (US), June 28 (SocialNews.XYZ) Former world number one Kidambi Srikanth reached his first final of the year with a hard-fought win over Japan’s Yudai Okimoto in the men’s semifinals of the US Open Badminton tournament here on Sunday (IST).

The 33-year-old got the better of fourth seed Okimoto 22-20, 15-21, 21-19 in an hour and 12 minutes.

Srikanth kept his nerve in the opening game after Okimoto had fought back from an 11-17 deficit to earn a game point. The Indian saved the point and won the next two to take the advantage. The Japanese shuttler, however, forced a decider with a strong showing in the second game.

The final game followed a similar script to the first as Srikanth opened up a 10-5 lead only for Okimoto to draw level at 12-all. Srikanth then pocketed six straight points, 12-13, before conceding five himself to make it 18-all. The Indian then relied on his experience to mix up the pace and wrap up the match.

Meanwhile, Indian teen qualifier Rounak Chouhan’s sensational run came to an end in the semifinals at the hands of Chinese Taipei’s eighth seed Su Li Yang, who will take on Srikanth in the summit clash.

Chouhan won his two qualifying round matches and then took down No. 74 Sankar Subramanian before causing the upset of the tournament, beating world No. 6 Chou Tien Chen 21-17, 26-24.

The 19-year-old then held off Misha Zilberman 23-21 21-11 before eventually running out of steam in the semifinals against No. 46 Su, 17-21, 19-21.

In women’s singles, Thailand Masters champion Devika Sihag could not sustain the momentum after winning the opening game against second seed Line Christophersen of Denmark, going down 15-21, 21-11, 21-15.

Christophersen made her first final since the Macau Open last August. The Dane shook off the opening game loss and made her way past Sihag.

Source: IANS

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Yatsushiro (Japan), June 27 (SocialNews.XYZ) Team India sealed their quarterfinals spot in the Badminton Asia Junior Mixed Team Championships with a dominant 2-0 (55-31, 55-21) win over Kazakhstan in their Group C opener here on Saturday.

With the all important clash against Chinese Taipei to decide the group winner looming, India mixed things up in doubles.

Girls’ doubles pairing of Durga Esha Kandrapu and Keerthy Manchala gave India a strong start with a 11-5 win over Alissa Kuleshova and Diana Namenova.

Puneeth Suresh and Deepti Raj Aditi were then taken the distance by Mustafa Malikzhan and Kuleshova but they managed to eke out a 11-10 win to take the score to 22-15. The Indians then dominated the next three categories to win the first set.

The second set then turned out to be a cakewalk as none of the players conceded more than six points in any of the matches.

India have been drawn in Group C for the mixed team event along with Chinese Taipei, Kazakhstan and the Philippines. India have a shot to challenge for the mixed team gold medal, to be played in a relay format, where the team first reaching 110 points will win the tie. India, the last bronze medalists, startef their campaign in the group stages before moving onto the quarter-final and then playing knockout matches all the way to the finals.

India’s challenge at the 2026 Badminton Asia Junior Championships was spear headed by the duo of Tanvi Patri and Abhinav Garg who will feature in the 19-member Indian squad for the championship in Yatsushiro, Japan, scheduled to be held from June 26 to July 5.

Source: IANS

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Fullerton, June 27 (SocialNews.XYZ) Thailand Masters champion Devika Sihag defeated third seed Riko Gunji of Japan, while Rounak Chouhan advanced to the US Open badminton semifinals, continuing his impressive streak.

Devika maintained her composure during the crucial moments of both games, winning against Gunji 22-20, 21-19 in the women’s singles quarterfinals on Friday. Meanwhile, Chouhan beat Israel’s Misha Zilberman 23-21, 21-11 in only 38 minutes, securing his first men’s singles BWF World Tour Super 300 semifinal.

Later that day, former world number one Kidambi Srikanth defeated Liao Jhuo-Fu of Chinese Taipei 21-9, 12-21, 21-8 in the quarterfinals, boosting hopes for an all-India final on Sunday.

In the semifinals, Chouhan will compete against eighth seed Su Li Yang of Chinese Taipei, while Srikanth will face the fourth seed Yudai Okimoto of Japan.

Meanwhile, Devika will compete against second seed Line Christophersen in the semifinal. The Danish player defeated India’s Tanvi Sharma in the quarterfinals with scores of 21-16, 11-21, 21-11.

In the other quarterfinal, Rakshitha Sree lost to Canada’s Rachel Chan with scores of 15-21, 21-16, 21-12.

Earlier on Wednesday, World Junior Championship silver medallist Tanvi Sharma and Devika began their US Open campaign strongly with easy victories. Tanvi won against Yvonne Li of Germany 23-21, 21-16, while Devika defeated Ines Lucia Castillo of Peru 21-14, 21-14 in the women’s singles first round.

In the first of two all-Indian matchups, rising star Rounak Chouhan defeated former world junior silver medallist S Sankar Muthusamy with scores of 23-21, 21-16. Fifth seed Kidambi Srikanth then comfortably beat fellow Indian D Saneeth in just 30 minutes, winning 21-14, 21-12. Additionally, Rakshitha Sree advanced in women’s singles, along with the mixed doubles pair Dhruv Rawat and K Maneesha.

Rakshitha beat Tereza Svabikova of the Czech Republic 21-15, 21-8. The seventh-seeded mixed doubles team of Rawat and Maneesha took only 26 minutes to defeat Indonesia’s Wirawan Ihsan Adam and Serena Kani with scores of 21-15, 21-16.

Source: IANS

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Fullerton (US), June 26 (SocialNews.XYZ) India’s Rounak Chouhan created the biggest upset of the US Open badminton tournament here on Friday when he packed off World no 6 and men’s singles top seed Chou Tien Chen of Chinese Taipei in straight games.

World No. 80, Chouhan, who was part of India’s bronze medal winning world junior campaign, defeated Chou 21-17, 26-24 to set up a last eight clash against Misha Zilberman of Israel.

The 18-year-old India kept the pressure on his more experienced opponent from the start and though Chou kept his nose ahead till 17-15, Chouhan won six straight points thereafter to pocket the opening game.

Chou was the dominant player for most part of the second game as he commanded a 17-11 lead before Chouhan once again bagged six straight points to draw level. It was a neck-and-neck battle thereafter as Chouhan saved four game points before converting his second mach point to clinch victory in 49 minutes.

Earlier, in the qualifiers, Rounak Chouhan booked his place in the main draw with two convincing wins, first getting the better of France's Enogat Roy 21-19, 21-16 before recovering from a set down to beat Chinese Taipei's Kuo Kuan Lin 13-21, 21-14, 21-10. The rising Indian shuttler then rode on that momentum to win the first of the two all-Indian contests, beating former World Junior Championships silver medallist S Sankar Muthusamy 23-21, 21-16 to enter the second round.

Also advancing to the last eight stage were world junior silver medallist Tanvi Sharma, Rakshitha Sree and Devika Sihag in women’s singles.

Fifth seed Tanvi defeated Tung Ciou-Tong of Chinese Taipei 21-12, 21-19, Rakshitha got the better of Tung’s compatriot Chen Su Yu 21-4, 21-19 while sixth seed Devika beat Tonrug Saeheng of Thailand 21-17, 21-19.

The experienced Kidambi Srikanth then capped off a fruitful day for India with a 21-14, 21-13 win over Lee Zii Jia of Malaysia.

Source: IANS

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Fullerton (US), June 25 (SocialNews.XYZ) World Junior Championship silver medallist Tanvi Sharma and Thailand Masters champion Devika Sihag registered comfortable wins to kick off their US Open campaign in style here on Thursday (IST).

Tanvi defeated Yvonne Li of Germany 23-21, 21-16, while Devika beat Ines Lucia Castillo of Peru 21-14, 21-14 in the women’s singles first round.

In the first of the two all-Indian clashes, up-and-coming Rounak Chouhan defeated former world junior silver medallist S Sankar Muthusamy 23-21, 21-16. Fifth seed Kidambi Srikanth then dominated the match against compatriot D. Saneeth to win 21-14, 21-12 in just 30 minutes.

Also advancing to the next round were Rakshitha Sree in women’s singles and the mixed doubles combination of Dhruv Rawat and K Maneesha.

Rakshitha defeated Tereza Svabikova of the Czech Republic 21-15, 21-8 while the seventh-seeded mixed doubles pairing of Rawat and Maneesha needed just 26 minutes to pack off Indonesia’s Wirawan Ihsan Adam and Serena Kani 21-15, 21-16.

On Day 1, women’s doubles pair of Treesa Jolly and Gayatri Gopichand made a winning start to their campaign after battling past Spain’s Paula Lopez and Lucia Rodriguez to reach the second round.

Treesa and Gayatri are the only Indian representatives in the women’s doubles draw. The duo had returned to action at the Indonesia Open earlier this month after Treesa’s three-month-long rehabilitation from an injury.

There will be no Indian entries in the men's doubles draw, as Asian Games champions Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty are out of action with Satwik continuing to recover from an injury he sustained during the Indonesia Open earlier this month.

Meanwhile, defending men’s singles champion Ayush Shetty will not return to defend the title he won at last year’s US Open. Another former Indian champion at the US Open, HS Prannoy, also skipped the meet.

Source: IANS

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Fullerton, June 24 (SocialNews.XYZ) India’s women’s doubles pair of Treesa Jolly and Gayatri Gopichand made a winning start to their campaign at the US Open 2026 badminton tournament, battling past Spain’s Paula López and Lucía Rodríguez to reach the second round on Wednesday.

The Commonwealth Games medallists, ranked 58th in the world currently, registered a hard-fought 21-12, 14-21, 21-13 victory at the Titan Gym in California to enter the pre-quarterfinals of the BWF Super 300 event. Treesa and Gayatri looked in control after comfortably taking the opener, but the Spanish pair fought back hard to force a decider.

But the Indian pair found their touch in the third game and ended with a dominant display to clinch victory. The tournament is another step in the comeback trail of the duo, with Treesa returning to competition at the Indonesia Open earlier this month after a three-month rehabilitation period owing to injury.

India’s only representatives in the women’s doubles draw, Treesa and Gayatri, will next take on Japan’s Sumire Nakade and Miyu Takahashi for a place in the quarter-finals.

Qualifier Rounak Chouhan carried on his good run of form to make it to the main draw in the men’s singles. The Indian shuttler defeated Enogat Roy of France 21-19, 21-16 before pipping Kuo Kuan-lin of Chinese Taipei 13-21, 21-14, 21-10 in the qualifying rounds. Rounak too had come through the qualifiers at last week’s Macau Open and went on to reach the quarter-finals, highlighting his growing confidence on the international circuit. India's main draw challenge will pick up pace on Wednesday as Lakshya Sen, Kidambi Srikanth, and Anmol Kharb begin their campaigns.

Meanwhile, defending men’s singles champion Ayush Shetty will not return to defend the title he won at last year’s US Open.

Source: IANS

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Macau, June 20 (SocialNews.XYZ) India's hopes at the Macau Open Super 300 came to an end on Saturday after Ashmita Chaliha suffered a straight-games defeat to South Korea's Park Ga Eun in the women's singles semifinals.

Park booked her place in the title clash with a 21-17, 21-9 victory in just 38 minutes, ending Ashmita's impressive run at the tournament and bringing India's campaign to a close.

The Indian shuttler looked well on course to claim the opening game after racing to a 15-11 advantage. However, Park produced a remarkable turnaround, winning 10 of the next 11 points to snatch the game and seize control of the contest. Ashmita struggled to regain momentum in the second game as the Korean maintained her dominance to wrap up the match in straight games.

Ashmita had entered the last-four clash on the back of a confident quarter-final performance against another Korean, Kim Min Sun. She prevailed 21-16, 21-18, overturning a six-point deficit in the second game with a brilliant late surge that saw her reel off five consecutive points to seal victory.

The semifinal marked another encouraging performance for the left-hander, who has steadily rebuilt her form after missing nearly three months of action earlier this year because of injury. Before arriving in Macau, she had already reached the quarter-finals at both the China Masters and Malaysia Masters, underlining her consistency on the BWF World Tour.

India's challenge in the women's singles had already taken a hit on Friday when eighth seed Anmol Kharb exited in the quarter-finals. The youngster lost 14-21, 21-15, 21-13 to China's fourth seed Han Qian Xi despite taking the match into a decider.

The men's singles campaign had ended even earlier, with qualifiers Tharun Mannepalli and Rounak Chouhan bowing out in the pre-quarterfinals. India's doubles representatives were also eliminated at the same stage.

The Indian contingent will now shift its focus to the US Open, the next stop on the BWF World Tour calendar, which begins on June 23.

Source: IANS

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Macau, June 19 (SocialNews.XYZ) Ashmita Chaliha continues her strong run in the Macau Open BWF World Tour Super 300 with a convincing win over Korea’s Kim Min Sun to reach the women’s singles semi-final here on Friday.

Ashmita defeated Kim 21-16, 21-18 in just 37 minutes to set up a last-four clash against another Korean, Park Ga Eun, who received a walkover in the quarterfinals from second seed Busanan Ongbamrungphan of Thailand.

The opening game between Ashmita and Kim was a neck-and-neck affair till 14-14. The Indian then clinched four straight points to open up a sizeable lead and then maintained the advantage.

The second game saw Kim taking the initiative and leading Ashmita 11-5 at the mid-game interval. But the left-handed Indian kept the pressure on her opponent and won five consecutive points from 16-18 to clinch the match.

The 26-year-old from Assam returned to competition in May after a three-month injury break. She delivered another solid performance to keep her impressive streak going. Ranked No. 63 in the world, Chaliha underwent surgery and a lengthy rehabilitation after suffering a medial meniscus tear in her right knee at the Korea Open.

Since returning to the circuit, she has reached the quarterfinals of both the China Masters Super 100 and Malaysia Masters Super 500 before making it to the semifinals this week. Chaliha will now face South Korea's Park Ga Eun for a spot in the final.

On the other hand, fellow Indian Anmol Kharb's journey ended here. The world No. 51 started strong against fourth seed Han Qian Xi, but she couldn't keep up the pace and lost 21-14, 15-21, 13-21 in a 60-minute quarterfinal match. The Chinese player, ranked 36th in the world, bounced back after losing the first game to secure her place in the semifinals.

However, eighth seed Anmol Kharb’s challenge came to an end at the last eight stage as she went down 14-21, 21-15, 21-13 against fourth seed Han Qian Xi of China.

Source: IANS

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New Delhi, June 13 (SocialNews.XYZ) PV Sindhu, a two-time Asian Games medalist, and the 2022 Asiad men’s doubles gold winners, Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty, will lead a strong Indian team in the badminton championships at the 20th Asian Games, scheduled in Aichi-Nagoya, Japan, from September 19 to October 4, 2026.

The Asian Games are one of the world's most esteemed multi-sport events and a top sporting accolade in Asia, uniting the continent’s best athletes in their quest for national pride. The Badminton Association of India (BAI) selection committee confirmed the team after assessing recent results from national and international tournaments and BWF rankings as of May 26, 2026.

Led by India’s top-ranked men’s singles player Lakshya Sen, the team also includes seasoned players H. S. Prannoy and Kidambi Srikanth, who were instrumental in India’s historic silver medal at the previous edition. The men’s team retains much of the core of the bronze-medal squad from this year's BWF Thomas Cup.

Reflecting the rise of a new generation, Ayush Shetty, who won a silver medal at the Badminton Asia Championships, along with Tanvi Sharma, a silver medalist at the BWF World Junior Championships Individual Championship, and Unnati Hooda, a Team Championship medalist, have all been selected after a series of impressive performances on the international circuit.

“Indian badminton today is in a position where success is being shaped not just by individual excellence, but by the growing depth of talent across categories. Over the last few months, we have seen encouraging signs across the board- Satwik-Chirag back to their best, Lakshya returning to the world’s top 10, the men’s team reaching another Thomas Cup podium, Sindhu and our senior players delivering consistently, and younger athletes stepping up with strong performances and important results internationally. This squad reflects that journey, a blend of experience, depth, and emerging talent, and we believe it has the quality and character to compete strongly at the Asian Games and make the country proud,” said Sanjay Mishra, General Secretary, BAI.

India heads into Aichi-Nagoya with strong momentum. Indian badminton has accumulated 13 medals in Asian Games history, including a notable gold at the last edition. The 2022 Games were India’s most successful badminton run, with one gold, one silver, and an individual bronze won by Prannoy. The country’s highest medal count was five bronze medals at the 1982 New Delhi Asian Games.

The Indian squad will feature established pairs across different categories. Men’s doubles team Hariharan Amsakarunan and M. R. Arjun arrive in strong form; Arjun also has experience from India’s silver medal at the 2022 men’s team event. Women’s doubles duo Treesa Jolly and Gayatri Gopichand continue to lead India’s doubles efforts, supported by the consistently improving Simran Singhi and Kavipriya Selvam. Thailand Masters Super 300 champion Devika Sihag, along with Isharani Baruah and Tharun Mannepalli, further enhances India’s singles strength. Dhruv Kapila and Tanisha Crasto bring additional skill and experience to the doubles squad.

At the Individual Championships, India will compete in all five disciplines. Sen and Shetty will participate in men’s singles, while Sindhu and Hooda will lead the women’s singles. In men’s doubles, Satwiksairaj-Chirag and Hariharan-Arjun will compete. Treesa-Gayatri and Kavipriya-Simran will represent India in women’s doubles. The top mixed doubles team, Dhruv and Tanisha, will also take part.

Asian Games 2026, Team India in Full:

Team Championship

Men’s Team: Lakshya Sen, Ayush Shetty, H. S. Prannoy, Kidambi Srikanth, Tharun Mannepalli, Satwiksairaj Rankireddy, Chirag Shetty, Hariharan Amsakarunan, M. R. Arjun, Dhruv Kapila

Women’s Team: PV Sindhu, Unnati Hooda, Devika Sihag, Tanvi Sharma, Isharani Baruah, Treesa Jolly, Gayatri Gopichand Pullela, Kavipriya Selvam, Simran Singhi, Tanisha Crasto

Individual Championship

Men’s Singles (MS): Lakshya Sen, Ayush Shetty

Women’s Singles (WS): PV Sindhu, Unnati Hooda

Men’s Doubles (MD): Satwiksairaj Rankireddy / Chirag Shetty; Hariharan Amsakarunan / M. R. Arjun

Women’s Doubles (WD): Treesa Jolly / Gayatri Gopichand Pullela; Kavipriya Selvam / Simran Singhi

Mixed Doubles (XD): Dhruv Kapila / Tanisha Crasto

Source: IANS

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Sydney, June 13 (SocialNews.XYZ) PV Sindhu's search for a first title-round appearance of the 2026 season remains unfinished after the Indian star suffered a straight-games defeat to reigning world champion Akane Yamaguchi in the women's singles semifinals of the Australian Badminton Open on Saturday.

The former world champion pushed the Japanese third seed hard in a fiercely contested opening game before Yamaguchi seized control to register a 22-20, 21-12 victory in 43 minutes and book her place in the final of the BWF Super 500 tournament.

For Sindhu, ranked No. 10 in the world, it marked another near miss in a season that has shown flashes of promise. The Australian Open was her second semifinal appearance on the BWF World Tour this year after a last-four finish at the Malaysia Open in January.

The opening game delivered the contest many had anticipated. Sindhu dictated several early exchanges and carried a slender advantage into the mid-game interval. However, Yamaguchi responded with a burst of six consecutive points to swing momentum in her favour.

The Indian battled back impressively, erasing the deficit and forcing a tense finish. She saved one game point at 20-19, but the Japanese shuttler held her nerve to edge ahead and claim the crucial opener.

Any hopes of a comeback were dented in the second game when Yamaguchi reeled off seven unanswered points to turn a tight contest into a one-sided affair. From there, the world No. 3 maintained complete control, extending her dominance in the rivalry with a 14th victory over Sindhu in 29 career meetings.

The defeat also brought India's campaign in Sydney to a close. Earlier, the men's doubles pair of MR Arjun and Hariharan Amsakarunan had exited in the quarterfinals after retiring midway through their match against Chinese Taipei's Chen Cheng Kuan and Liu Kuang-Heng, while India's men's singles contingent failed to progress beyond the opening round.

Indian shuttlers will now shift their focus to the Macau Open Super 300 tournament beginning next week.

Source: IANS

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New Delhi, June 12 (SocialNews.XYZ) All India Junior ranking medallists Tanvi Patri and Abhinav Garg will lead a strong Indian contingent for the Badminton Asia Junior (U-19) Championships to be held in Yatsushiro, Japan, from June 26-July 5, 2026.

The team championships will be conducted from June 26-30, with the individual championships scheduled thereafter.

Patri and Garg were directly selected for the team after winning the All India U-19 ranking tournament in Bengaluru last month, along with the top doubles pairings in each category.

Boys doubles combination of Punith S. and Pavan S., Diya Bheemaiah B. and Baruni Parshwal (girls doubles), and Punith S. and Deepak Raj Aditi (mixed doubles) were the three direct selections in the paired events.

The rest of the squad was picked following a selection trial at the National Centre of Excellence in Guwahati as per the guidelines laid out by the Junior Selection Committee, BAI.

“Having won our first mixed team medal at the Junior World Championships last year, we are confident that this group of juniors will continue to build on that performance. All the players are in good form, and we are expecting multiple medals from them,” said Badminton Association of India General Secretary Sanjay Mishra.

In the 2025 edition, India won two bronze medals in girls' singles.

India squad:

Boys' singles: Abhinav Garg, Dev Ruparelia, Jagsher Singh Khangurra, Dhyan Santosh

Girls' singles: Tanvi Patri, Tanvi Reddy Andluri, Adarshini Shri N B, Shaina Manimuthu

Men’s doubles. Pavan S/Punith S, Amarjit Singh Khwairakpam/Divyansh Agrawal

Women’s doubles: Diya Bheemaiah B/Baruni Parshwal; Durga Esha Kandrapu/Keerthy Manchala

Mixed doubles: Punit S/Deepak Raj Aditi; Bjorn Jaison/Dianka Waldia

Source: IANS

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Sydney, May 12 (SocialNews.XYZ) World No. 10 PV Sindhu booked her place in the semifinals of the Australian Open currently underway at the Quaycentre in Sydney with a dominant victory over Chinese Taipei's Chen Su Yu.

In a match lasting just 27 minutes, the third-seeded Indian controlled both games from the beginning to seal a 21-6, 21-9 victory. The result marks Sindhu’s second semifinal appearance of the season, having previously reached the last four at the Malaysia Open 2026.

An interesting semifinal awaits Sindhu as the two-time Olympic medallist takes on top seed and three-time world champion Akane Yamaguchi. The clash will be the 29th meeting between the two, with Sindhu holding a15-13 advantage in their head-to-head record. However, the Japanese has won four of their last five encounters.

The result was Sindhu’s second semifinal appearance in eight BWF World Tour events this season, offering a timely confidence boost after an inconsistent run on the circuit. The good run of young Indian Tanvi Sharma came to an end in the quarterfinals as she was outclassed by Japan’s Akane Yamaguchi, whose solid defence and pinpoint accuracy were too difficult to counter.

Tanvi’s journey to the quarter-finals may have ended in disappointment but she produced a series of solid displays and a few major upsets that underlined her burgeoning promise and marked another important step in the career of one of India’s brightest badminton prospects.

Yamaguchi advanced to the semis with a 21-14, 21-14 victory over India’s Tanvi Sharma in 32 minutes.

In men’s doubles, the Indian pair of Hariharan Amsakarunan and MR Arjun were forced to retire during the second game against opponents from Chinese Taipei.

Earlier, Sindhu, World Junior Championships runner-up Tanvi Sharma, and the men's doubles pair of Hariharan Amsakarunan and MR Arjun advanced to the quarterfinals. Tanvi continued her impressive run with a 21-12, 21-15 win over Malvika Bansod, while Sindhu defeated fellow Indian Isharani Baruah 22-20, 21-12. Hariharan and Arjun also progressed, overcoming Australia's Michael Owen and Dylan Soedjasa 21-17, 21-17.

Source: IANS

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Sydney, June 11 (SocialNews.XYZ) Two-time Olympic medallist PV Sindhu and teenager Tanvi Sharma sailed into the quarterfinals of the women’s singles event at the Australian Badminton Open tournament here on Thursday.

World No. 10 Sindhu got the better of her younger compatriot and world No. 39 Isharani Baruah 22-20, 21-12 in 42 minutes. She will face Chinese Taipei’s Chen Su-yu in the quarter-finals for a place in her second semi-final of the year after the Malaysia Open.

The third-seeded Indian survived a challenge from Isharani in a tie-break opening game before dominating the second to book her spot in the quarter-finals.

Elsewhere, Tanvi Sharma registered a convincing 21-13, 21-15 win over senior compatriot Malvika Bansod in another all-Indian contest.

The win propelled the 17-year-old Tanvi into her second quarterfinal of the year. She will face three-time world champion and top seed Akane Yamaguchi of Japan in a daunting quarter-final match.

In another action, Tanya Hemanth’s campaign came to an end after a 12-21, 15-21 loss to the second seed and world No. 8 Pornpawee Chochuwong of Thailand.

In the men's doubles, MR Arjun and Hariharan Amsakarunan stayed alive with a comfortable 21-17, 21-7 win against Michael Owen and Dylan Soedjasa of New Zealand.

Arjun and Hariharan are the only Indians remaining in the men's doubles discipline after Achutaditya Rao Doddavarapu and Arjun Reddy Pochana suffered an exit after losing 21-15, 21-15 to the local pair of Kanki Igawa and Ooi Ye Hern in the opening round.

Satwiksairaj Rankireddy-Chirag Shetty, India’s top-ranked doubles team, skipped the BWF Super 500 meet on account of the shoulder injury Satwik suffered last week in Indonesia.

India's mixed doubles challenge at the Australian Badminton Open ended after Dhruv Rawat and Manisha Keer lost 21-19, 21-18 to Japan's Akira Koga and Natsu Saito.

Source: IANS

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Sydney, June 10 (SocialNews.XYZ) India's women's singles contingent enjoyed a productive start at the Australian Badminton Open 2026, with ace shuttler PV Sindhu and teenage sensation Tanvi Sharma booking their places in the second round after convincing victories on Wednesday.

Former world champion Sindhu needed little time to settle into the tournament, brushing aside Peru's Inés Castillo in straight games at the Olympic Boulevard venue. The two-time Olympic medallist controlled the contest from the outset and wrapped up a 21-13, 21-11 victory in just over half an hour.

The win sets up an all-Indian pre-quarterfinal clash against Isharani Baruah. The world No. 39 fought through a demanding three-game battle against China's Han Qianxi, prevailing 22-20, 10-21, 21-14 to advance. Thursday's encounter will mark the first competitive meeting between Sindhu and Isharani.

Another encouraging result for India came through 17-year-old Tanvi Sharma, who produced one of the standout performances of the opening day. The reigning World Junior Championships silver medallist defeated higher-ranked Chiu Pin-Chian of Chinese Taipei 21-12, 22-20, overcoming the world No. 11 in straight games.

The victory represents a timely boost for Tanvi, who has endured a challenging run on the BWF circuit this season. Despite her rapid rise up the rankings over the past year, the young Indian had progressed beyond the opening round in only two of her previous eight tournaments in 2026.

Tanvi's reward is another domestic showdown, with Malvika Bansod awaiting in the next round. Malvika recovered after dropping the opening game to defeat Thailand's Tonrug Saeheng 15-21, 21-7, 21-13.

While India's women's singles campaign gathered momentum, the men's challenge ended early. Kiran George was edged out by Malaysia's Justin Hoh in a closely contested three-game encounter, while qualifier Saneeth Dayanand was unable to get past China's Hu Zhe'an.

The narrowest defeat of the day came for Tharun Mannepalli. Facing world No. 10 Lin Chun-yi of Chinese Taipei, the Indian battled for one hour and 20 minutes before falling 18-21, 21-13, 23-25 in a gripping first-round contest.

India's representation in the women's singles draw expanded further, with Tanya Hemanth beating USA's Ishika Jaiswal 21-17, 21-18 later in the day. However, Aakarshi Kashyap’s campaign ended after a 19-21, 21-19, 20-22 loss to Malaysia’s Wong Ling Ching.

With Sindhu, Tanvi, Malvika, Aakarshi and Isharani all progressing, India has ensured multiple contenders remain in the hunt as the tournament moves into the business end of the women's singles competition.

Source: IANS

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Sydney, June 9 (SocialNews.XYZ) India’s MR Arjun and Hariharan Amsakarunan cruised into the second round of men’s doubles at the Australian Badminton Open after beating the American duo of Arden Quan Lee and Stanley Xing.

The Indians registered a 21-13, 21-13 win in their opening round match here at Olympic Boulevard.

Arjun and Hariharan Amsakarunan led the first game from start to end and won it comfortably. The American duo put up a fight early in the second game and went into the break trailing by a single point. After the restart, the Indian duo scored the next 10 points quickly while conceding just two and closed out the match in straight games.

Meanwhile, India’s other men’s doubles pair in the tournament - Achutaditya Rao Doddavarapu and Arjun Reddy Pochana suffered an exit after losing 21-15, 21-15 to the local pair of Kanki Igawa and Ooi Ye Hern in the opening round.

Doddavarapu and Pochana’s exit leaves Arjun-Amsakarunan as the only Indian challenge remaining in the men's doubles in the tournament. Satwiksairaj Rankireddy-Chirag Shetty, India’s top-ranked doubles team, skipped the BWF Super 500 meet on account of the shoulder injury Satwik suffered last week in Indonesia.

Earlier in the day, India’s Saneeth Dayanand, appearing in his maiden Super 500 badminton tournament, made the cut for the men’s singles main draw after winning two qualifying matches.

Dayanand and Tharun Mannepalli will be carrying Indian hopes in the men's singles as Lakshya Sen, who won the Australian Open men’s singles title last year, isn’t defending his crown this year, while Ayush Shetty and HS Prannoy withdrew at the 11th hour after appearing in the entry list initially.

Two-time Olympic medallist PV Sindhu, 11th in the women’s singles rankings, will start her campaign in Australia against Peru’s Ines Lucia Castillo Salazar on Wednesday. Malvika Bansod will also be in action.

Source: IANS

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New Delhi, June 8 (SocialNews.XYZ) Two-time Olympic medallist PV Sindhu will lead a 24-member Indian contingent at the Australian Open 2026, with experienced campaigners HS Prannoy and rising star Ayush Shetty hoping to make a strong impression when the BWF Super 500 tournament gets underway in Sydney on Tuesday.

India, however, will miss some of its star performers, as defending men’s singles champion Lakshya Sen pulled out of this year’s tournament, while former world No 1 Kidambi Srikanth, who bagged the title in 2017, is also sitting out this event.

This puts a spotlight on Sindhu, who heads a powerful Indian women’s singles challenge in the Quaycentre in Sydney. Alongside the former world champion in the main draw, former Asian junior champion Malvika Bansod, Anmol Kharb, Tanvi Sharma, Isharani Baruah, Aakarshi Kashyap, and Tanya Hemnath will compete in the women's singles, while Imad Farooqui and Samiya will start from the qualifying rounds.

India’s challenge in the men’s singles draw will be led by the trio of Prannoy, Ayush Shetty, and Kiran George. The three all suffered a first-round exit in last week's Indonesia Open and would look to make amends by reaching the later stages in Sydney.

Youngsters Tharun Mannepalli, Saneeth Dayanand, and Manraj Singh form the rest of India’s challenge in men’s singles, with the latter two starting from the qualifiers.

Injury concerns have also hit India’s men’s doubles bid. Asian Games gold medallists Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty will miss out after Satwik aggravated a shoulder injury that he sustained in last week's Indonesia Open.

The pair of MR Arjun and Hariharan Amsakarunan will carry India's hopes in the men’s doubles after reaching the quarter finals in Jakarta, while Achutaditya Rao Doddavarapu and Arjun Reddy Pochana make their second appearance on the BWF World Tour event after the Spain Masters.

There is no Indian representation in the women’s doubles competition this year.

India's challenge in the mixed doubles is spearheaded by Dhruv Kapila and Olympian Tanisha Crasto, who will be accompanied by the pair of Dhruv Rawat and Manisha Keer and siblings Mohit Jaglan and Lakshita Jaglan.

Source: IANS

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Jakarta, June 4 (SocialNews.XYZ) India's challenge in the singles discipline at the Indonesia Open came to a end on Thursday after PV Sindhu and Ayush Shetty suffered losses in their respective pre-quarterfinals matches, but the men's doubles pair of Hariharan Amsakarunan and Ruban Kumar Rethinasabapathi Arjun kept the tricolour flying with a hard-fought victory.

Sindhu's campaign ended at the hands of world No. 1 An Se Young, who continued her dominance over the Indian star with a 21-17, 21-15 win in the women's singles Round of 16.

The two-time Olympic medallist matched the South Korean for significant periods of the opening game and showed glimpses of her attacking best. However, An's ability to raise her level during crucial exchanges once again proved decisive. After edging ahead late in the first game, the top seed dictated proceedings in the second with her trademark consistency and court coverage to secure a place in the quarter-finals.

With Sindhu's exit, India's hopes in the singles draw rested on rising youngster Ayush Shetty. The 21-year-old made an impressive start against Hong Kong China's Lee Cheuk Yiu, claiming the opening game 21-16 after producing an assured display.

However, Lee tightened his control in the rallies and wrapped up the second game 21-13 to force a decider. Although Ayush opened the third game brightly, the experienced Hong Kong shuttler responded with a decisive burst of points and maintained the advantage to complete a 16-21, 21-13, 21-14 victory.

The defeat marked the end of India's singles campaign in Jakarta, following the first-round exits of Lakshya Sen and HS Prannoy earlier in the tournament.

Amid the disappointment, Hariharan and Arjun delivered one of India's standout performances of the day in the men's doubles competition. The Indian pair recovered from a slow start to defeat Malaysia's A. Tai and K. X. Kang 16-21, 21-15, 21-19 and book their place in the quarter-finals.

After dropping the opening game, the Indians fought back strongly in the second to level the contest before holding their nerve in a closely contested decider. The victory ensured India challenge alive at the Super 1000 event.

With the singles campaign over, attention will now shift entirely to the doubles draw, where Hariharan and Arjun will face former world No. 1 pair of Goh Sze Fei-Nur Izzuddin Rumsani.

Source: IANS

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Jakarta, June 3 (SocialNews.XYZ) Former world junior bronze medallist Ayush Shetty, the mixed doubles combination of Rohan Kapoor and Ruthvika Shivani registered hard-fought wins to advance to the second round of the Indonesia Open badminton tournament in Jakarta on Wednesday.

Shetty defeated China’s Weng Hong Yang 8-21, 22-20, 21-15, while Rohan and Ruthvika upset world no 20 Yang Po-Hsuan and Hu Ling Fang of Chinese Taipei 21-14, 21-14 to advance.

Thomas Cup 2026 bronze medallist Ayush Shetty came from a game down to beat world no.15 Weng for the second time in a row. Though he surrendered the first game, Shetty took an early lead in the second with a 4-point advantage at 8-4. Weng reacted quickly to close the gap, reaching his second game point. From 19-20, the Indians scored the crucial three points, forcing a decider.

While the second was an intense battle, Shetty earned a comfortable 6-point lead and maintained the advantage to close the match in an hour and six minutes. The Indian had defeated Weng previously at the Thomas Cup in April. He next meets Lee Cheuk Yiu of Hong Kong, who upset the 4th seed, Christo Popov.

In mixed doubles, Rohan and Ruthvika outplayed the higher-ranked Chinese Taipei pair, Yang Po-Hsuan and Hu Ling Fang, in straight games in just 34 minutes. Tough battle awaits as they meet the defending champions, Thom Gicquel and Delphine Delrue of France, in the next stage.

Earlier, PV Sindhu kicked off her Indonesia Open 2026 with a 25-23, 21-16 win over Thailand’s Busanan Ongbamrungphan.

Meanwhile, Lakshya Sen lost to home favourite Alwi Farhan 21-19, 21-16. Alwi had defeated World No 1 Shi Yu Qi at the Singapore Open last week.

In women’s singles on Thursday, PV Sindhu has to survive An Se-Young's threat to advance, while Hariharan-Arjun meet Malaysia’s Kang Khai Xing and Aaron Tai, who advanced after opponents Satwik-Chirag exited during the opening game due to the former’s injury.

Source: IANS

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Jakarta, June 3 (SocialNews.XYZ) Indian star shuttlers Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty's Indonesia Open campaign came to an end early in the first round of the men's doubles after the former was struggling with a right shoulder niggle.

The world no. 4 pair were trailing 6-11 in the first game against the Malaysian pair Kang Khai Xing & Aaron Tai when Satwik pointed to his right shoulder, which has been bothering him for a while, and the duo gave a walkover to their opponents on Wednesday.

"Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty have withdrawn from the Indonesia Open 2026 due to the former’s injury. The pair will now focus on recovery and rehabilitation as they prepare for the important tournaments ahead. We wish Satwik a speedy recovery and look forward to seeing the duo back on court soon," BAI said in a statement.

Satwik's recurring shoulder issue had previously led to the pair's withdrawal from the Badminton Asia Championship earlier this year.

Last week, the duo battled back from a game down to defeat Indonesian pair Fajar Alfian and Muhammad Shohibul Fikri 18-21, 21-17, 21-16, becoming the first men’s pair from India to win the Singapore Open.

Meanwhile, the mixed doubles duo of Rohan Kapoor & Ruthvika Gadde started strong at the BWF Super 1000 event, defeating the world No. 20 Taipie pair of Yang Po-Hsuan and Hu Ling Fang to book their place in the next round.

On Tuesday, world No. 10 Lakshya Sen crashed out of the tournament after losing his first-round match to Alwi Farhan of Indonesia, while two-time Olympic medallist PV Sindhu, who returned to the top 10 for the first time since October 2023 this week, beat Thailand’s world No. 19 Busanan Ongbamrungphan in the first round.

In the men’s doubles, the Indian pair of Hariharan Amsakarunan and MR Arjun upset Malaysia’s Tan Wee Kiong, a Rio 2016 men’s doubles silver medallist, and Nur Mohd Azriyn Ayub in the opening round.

Source: IANS

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Jakarta, June 2 (SocialNews.XYZ) Back in the top 10 of BWF world rankings, PV Sindhu kicked off her Indonesia Open 2026 with a 25-23, 21-16 win over Thailand’s Busanan Ongbamrungphan at the Istora Senayan stadium in Jakarta on Tuesday.

The former world champion had to push herself, finally winning with scores of 25-23 and 21-16 in 51 minutes. She won the closely contested first game with her aggressive playing style and carried that energy into the second game to secure a straight-sets victory.

Sindhu now faces a tough challenge in the second round, where she is likely to meet reigning Olympic champion and world No. 1 An Se-young. Sindhu trails 0-9 in their head-to-head record and lost to the Korean in the Singapore Open quarterfinals last week.

Also advancing to the next round was the men's doubles combination of Hariharan Amsakarunan and MR Arjun, who registered a straight games victory over Malaysia's 2016 Olympic medallist Tan Wee Kiong and his current partner Nur Mohd Azriyn.

India's ace shuttler Sindhu, who entered the world top-10 for the first time since 2023, opened her campaign with an 11th successive win against the Thailand shuttler. Sindhu now leads the head-to-head record against Busanan 21-1. She will now face the winner of the match between top seed An Se Young of Korea and Neslihan Arin of Turkey.

Later, Hariharan and Arjun outplayed the experienced Malaysian duo 21-18, 21-10 in just 33 minutes.

Meanwhile, Lakshya Sen lost to home favourite Alwi Farhan 21-19, 21-16. Alwi had defeated World No 1 Shi Yu Qi at the Singapore Open last week.

On the other hand, it was a tough day for India's doubles teams. The women's doubles pair of Treesa Jolly and Gayatri Gopichand, playing together for the first time in over two months, lost 14-21, 12-21 to the Indonesian team of Febriana Dwipuji Kusuma and Meilysa Trias Puspitasari. In mixed doubles, Dhruv Kapila and Tanisha Crasto were beaten 11-21, 10-21 by the sixth-seeded Chinese pair of Guo Xin Wa and Chen Fang Hui.

Source: IANS

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