Shenzhen, Sep 2 (SocialNews.XYZ) Japan's Kodai Naraoka defeated China's Li Shifeng in straight games at the 2026 BWF China Masters on Wednesday, advancing to the men's singles last 16.

Li failed to avenge his quarterfinal defeat to Naraoka at the BWF World Championships two weeks ago, where the Japanese shuttler went on to finish runner-up.

Li led for much of the opening game, but Naraoka fought back to take it 21-18. The Japanese quickly pulled away in the second game and cruised to a 21-7 victory.

"I made some mistakes while leading, which allowed him to turn the game around. That also affected my mindset at the start of the second game," Li said after the match.

The defending Asian Games men's singles champion said he was looking forward to the upcoming continental event. "I will give it my all. The Asian Games will be a fresh start, and I hope I can do better," he added.

France's Popov brothers advanced in both the men's singles and doubles. Toma Junior Popov overcame veteran Chou Tien-chen of Chinese Taipei 22-20, 21-15, while second seed Christo Popov battled from one game down to beat Thailand's Panitchaphon Teeraratsakul 9-21, 23-21, 21-16.

The brothers then teamed up to defeat twin brothers Lee Fang-chih and Lee Fang-jen of Chinese Taipei 21-18, 21-7 in the men's doubles, securing spots in the last 16 of two events.

However, their French teammates Thom Gicquel and Delphine Delrue, who had just won the mixed doubles title at the World Championships, suffered a surprising exit after losing 23-21, 21-10 to Liu Kuang-heng and Hsu Yin-hui of Chinese Taipei.

In the women's singles, second seed Wang Zhiyi of China eased past Thailand's Tonrug Saeheng, who ranked No. 71 in the world, 21-6, 21-14 in 38 minutes.

Thai shuttler Ratchanok Intanon won over Tung Ciou-tong of Chinese Taipei 21-16, 21-14 to advance.

Source: IANS

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Shenzhen (China), Sep 2 (SocialNews.XYZ) Singles star Kidambi Srikanth and top men's doubles pair Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty kept the Indian hopes alive in the BWF China Masters even as Lakshya Sen made his exit in the Round of 32 stage matches at the Shenzhen Arena on Wednesday.

Srikanth, a former World Championship runner-up, defeated Chi Yu Jen of Chinese Taipei in straight games in a men's singles Round of 32 match, winning 21-18, 21-15 in a 35-minute encounter on Court 2 at Shenzhen Arena.

In the men's doubles, fourth seeds Rankireddy and Shetty joined him in the pre-quarterfinals by getting past the Malaysian pair of Junaidi Arif and Kang Khai Xing, winning 21-11, 21-16 in 40 minutes on Court 1.

World No. 20 Tanvi Sharma also advanced to the next stage in the women's singles second round by beating Amalie Schulz of Denmark 21-16, 21-17 in 31 minutes.

India had a mixed day in the mixed doubles section, as Dhruv Kapila and Tanisha Crasto reached the pre-quarterfinals with a 21-8, 21-9 win over Tonkid Saeheng and Tonrug Saeheng of Thailand in 24 minutes.

The contingent suffered a setback in the mixed doubles as Rohan Kapoor and Ruthvika Shivani Gadde lost to the Chinese Taipei pair of Wu Guan Xun and Lee Chia Hsin, 21-16, 21-18 in 34 minutes.

In the women's singles, Devika Sihag went down to Kaloyana Nalbantova of Bulgaria in the Round of 32 clash on Court 3, losing 21-18, 21-15 in the USD 1,250,000 event.

In the men's singles, Srikanth surged to an early 7-1 lead and kept up the pressure as he won points to extend the lead to 12-3. Though Chi Yu Jen narrowed the gap to 13-8, Srikanth maintained his upper hand to win the first game.

In the second game, Srikanth took an early lead, but Chi levelled up at 4-4. The Chinese Taipei player went ahead 8-6. Srikanth then won four points in a row, then went on to take a 16-11 lead and went on to win the game and match at 21-15.

Earlier, Lakshya Sen’s China Masters campaign came to an early end on Wednesday as the Indian shuttler went down to Canada’s Victor Lai in straight games in the round of 32.

Sen suffered a 14-21, 7-21 straight-games loss at the hands of the 2026 World Championships bronze medallist here at the Shenzhen Arena. This was the Indian's third loss to the Canadian in the pair's fourth career meeting.

Moreover, this was Lai's third win over Sen this year. The Canadian got the better of the Indian at the Thomas Cup and in the round of 16 of the China Open in July. Sen's only win over Lai was a gruelling three-game All England Open semifinal in March that Sen won 21-16, 18-21, 21-15.

In another men's singles action, Raunak Chauhan kick-started his campaign with a straight-games win over Liu Yu Xuan of China, 21-15, 21-18. Meanwhile, Saneeth Dayanand defeated third seed Chinese Dong Tian Yao 9-21, 21-18, 21-15.

However, Kiran George lost the three-game battle 15-21, 23-21, 10-21 to Shogo Ogawa of Japan.

Source: IANS

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Shenzhen, Sep 2 (SocialNews.XYZ) Chinese Taipei pair Liu Kuang Heng and Hsu Yin-hui produced one of the standout results at the China Masters, a BWF Super 750 tournament, defeating newly crowned world champions Thom Gicquel and Delphine Delrue in straight games on Wednesday.

The world No. 48 mixed doubles combination prevailed 23-21, 21-10 in 38 minutes, overturning a late deficit in the opening game before dominating the second to send the French pair out of the tournament.

Liu/Hsu were trailing 19-17 in the first game but recovered to draw level, saved a game point and eventually secured the crucial opener 23-21. Having survived that tense finish, the pair returned in the second game with greater freedom and surged to a comprehensive 21-10 victory.

“Knowing they had just become world champions, we naturally really wanted to challenge them; we wanted to beat them even more,” Liu was quoted as saying by BWF.

Hsu pointed to their attacking approach and execution as the key factors behind their impressive performance against the reigning world champions.

“It was our offence; we did what we were supposed to and executed our game plan well. That gave us the platform to build on early on,” he added.

The dramatic turnaround in the opening game also changed the complexion of the contest, according to Liu, with the underdogs gaining confidence while the pressure increasingly fell on their opponents.

“The pressure was on them and our mood was good. It allowed us to continue sticking to our style, with even more confidence,” Liu stated.

The victory continues an encouraging run for Liu/Hsu, who captured the US Open title in late June before reaching the final of the Canada Open the following week. Their performances have highlighted the growing momentum behind the partnership.

Hsu said the improvement has come from refining important aspects of their game, particularly their coordination and the opening exchanges of rallies.

“The main reason is our communication and that we had set up our serves and receives well,” she said. “We’ve been working on them in training and it’s now showing results.”

For Gicquel and Delrue, meanwhile, the defeat brought an abrupt end to their first tournament appearance since being crowned world champions two Sundays earlier.

Gicquel acknowledged that the French pair lost their way after a promising beginning and struggled to maintain their usual approach as the match progressed.

“It wasn’t a good performance. The start was okay but then we got a bit stressed. We forgot to play and make them move,” Gicquel admitted.

Source: IANS

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Shenzhen (China), Sep 1 (SocialNews.XYZ) China's Shi Yuqi suffered a straight-game defeat to Singapore's Loh Kean Yew at the 2026 BWF China Masters in Shenzhen on Tuesday, making an early exit for the second consecutive tournament following the World Championships.

The clash between sixth seed Shi and Loh was one of the highlights of the opening day, with the pair having won the world title in 2025 and 2021, respectively. However, Shi struggled throughout the match and was beaten 21-11, 21-10 in just 30 minutes.

After suffering first-round exits at both the World Championships and China Masters, Shi admitted that he was not in his best condition, reports Xinhua.

"I had a low fever for a week after the World Championships and felt quite unwell. I'm fully recovered now. I really gave it my all in this match," Shi said.

Another Chinese player, Hu Zhean, put up a strong fight but was eliminated by fifth seed Anders Antonsen of Denmark, who came from behind to win 19-21, 21-11, 21-16.

In women's singles, China's Han Qianxi cruised past Pai Yu-po of Chinese Taipei 21-10, 21-9 and will face top seed An Se-young of South Korea in the next round. An advanced with a comfortable 21-11, 21-3 victory over Lin Hsiang-ti of Chinese Taipei.

Thailand's Pornpawee Chochuwong was beaten 21-14, 21-15 by Chiu Pin-chian of Chinese Taipei.

Men's doubles top seeds Kim Won-ho and Seo Seung-jae of South Korea were also knocked out in the first round, losing 21-19, 21-19 to Indonesia's Leo Rolly Karnando and Daniel Marthin.

Kim said the pair would immediately turn their attention to preparations for the upcoming Asian Games. "First, we need to adjust our physical condition and ensure that we can train systematically without injuries. We also need to focus on maintaining our concentration and executing our planned tactics," he added.

In mixed doubles, top seeds Feng Yanzhe and Huang Dongping of China survived a thrilling encounter with Japan's Yuta Watanabe and Maya Taguchi. The two pairs battled into a deciding game, where Feng and Huang missed six match points before finally holding their nerve to prevail 27-25 and book a place in the last 16.

Source: IANS

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Shenzhen, Sep 1 (SocialNews.XYZ) India’s Unnati Hooda’s China Masters campaign came to an early end on Tuesday as the 18-year-old was beaten in straight games by South Korea’s world No. 12 Kim Ga-eun in the women’s singles first round at the Shenzhen Sports Centre Gymnasium.

Ranked 25th in the world, Unnati was beaten 21-10, 21-18 in 37 minutes by Kim Ga-eun in their first meeting on the BWF World Tour. Kim, who arrived in China in strong form after winning the Macau Open in June, controlled the opening exchanges and never allowed the Indian to establish a sustained rhythm.

The Korean quickly moved 4-0 ahead and built a sizeable 11-3 cushion at the interval. Unnati could not close the gap after the restart as Kim continued to dictate the rallies and wrapped up the opening game with relative ease.

The second game followed a different pattern. Unnati made a bright start, moving 3-0 in front, but Kim gradually turned the momentum around to lead 7-5.

The Indian then found her footing and regained the advantage at 15-14, keeping the contest finely balanced. Kim responded when it mattered most. With Unnati trailing 18-16, she fought back to level the score, only for the Korean to take the next three points and end the match.

For Unnati, the defeat comes shortly after her debut at the BWF World Championships in New Delhi, where she advanced to the second round. The teenager remains one of India's notable young prospects on the international circuit.

Kim, meanwhile, strengthened an already impressive profile. Along with her Macau Open triumph earlier this year, she was part of South Korea’s gold-medal-winning women’s team at the 2023 Asian Games.

There was also disappointment for India in the men’s doubles, where MR Arjun and Hariharan Amsakarunan were forced to retire during their opening match against China’s Chen Boyang and Liu Yi. The Indian pair withdrew while trailing 11-8 in the first game.

Several leading Indian players will begin their China Masters campaigns on Wednesday, with Lakshya Sen, Kidambi Srikanth and Tanvi Sharma scheduled to take the court. Devika Sihag will also be in action, while the top-seeded men’s doubles combination of Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty will headline the Indian challenge.

With Unnati already out, the spotlight now shifts to the remaining Indian contingent as the Super 750 event enters its opening rounds.

Source: IANS

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Shenzhen, Aug 31 (SocialNews.XYZ) Lakshya Sen will face newly-crowned world champion Alex Lanier in a blockbuster opening-round clash as a strong Indian contingent begins its campaign at the China Masters 2026, a BWF Super 750 tournament, at the Shenzhen Sports Centre Gymnasium from September 1 to 6.

The world No. 13 Indian will have a demanding start against France's Lanier, who arrives in Shenzhen fresh from his historic triumph at the BWF World Championships in New Delhi, where he became the first Frenchman to claim the men's singles world title.

The two players have met once previously, with Lanier emerging victorious in straight games in the quarter-finals of last year's Denmark Open. Lakshya will therefore be looking to turn the tables as he returns to competition following an early exit at the World Championships, where he suffered a second-round defeat to USA's Garret Tan.

India's men's singles challenge will also feature former world No. 1 Kidambi Srikanth. The experienced shuttler, who finished runner-up at the US Open in June, will provide the country with another significant presence in a highly competitive draw.

Ayush Shetty, who produced one of India's standout performances at the World Championships by defeating 2025 world champion Shi Yuqi in the opening round, will not compete in Shenzhen. Two-time Olympic medallist PV Sindhu is also absent from the tournament.

World No. 5 Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty will spearhead India's doubles campaign. The fourth-seeded pair head into the Super 750 event after winning the Singapore Badminton Open in May and reaching the quarter-finals of the World Championships in New Delhi.

MR Arjun and Hariharan Amsakarunan will also represent India in the men's doubles competition.

India's next generation will be firmly in focus in the women's singles, with Unnati Hooda, Tanvi Sharma and Devika Sihag forming the country's three-member challenge.

Eighteen-year-old Unnati, currently ranked world No. 25, recently made her World Championships debut and reached the second round before narrowly losing a three-game contest to Canada's Michelle Li.

Tanvi, ranked world No. 26, has enjoyed a breakthrough season and captured her maiden BWF World Tour title at the Taipei Open, while Devika arrives after winning the Thailand Masters earlier this year.

All three young shuttlers are part of India's squad for the upcoming Asian Games in Aichi-Nagoya.

Dhruv Kapila and Tanisha Crasto, along with Rohan Kapoor and Ruthvika Shivani Gadde, will represent India in the mixed doubles competition.

India will have no representatives in the women's doubles draw. Treesa Jolly and Gayatri Gopichand, who recently created history by winning a bronze medal at the World Championships in New Delhi, are among those skipping the tournament.

Beyond the immediate battle for the China Masters title, the tournament will serve as a significant competitive outing for several members of India's 20-player badminton squad preparing for the Asian Games in Aichi-Nagoya from September 19 to October 4.

Lakshya, Srikanth, Unnati, Tanvi, Devika, Satwiksairaj, Chirag, Arjun, Hariharan, Dhruv and Tanisha — 11 members of India's Asian Games badminton contingent — will be in action in Shenzhen.

The China Masters also presents India with an opportunity to break new ground. No Indian player has won the tournament since its inception in 2005, adding another layer of significance to this week's campaign.

China Masters 2026: India squad

Men's singles: Lakshya Sen, Kidambi Srikanth

Men's doubles: Satwiksairaj Rankireddy/Chirag Shetty, MR Arjun/Hariharan Amsakarunan

Women's singles: Unnati Hooda, Tanvi Sharma, Devika Sihag

Mixed doubles: Dhruv Kapila/Tanisha Crasto, Rohan Kapoor/Ruthvika Shivani Gadde

Women's doubles: No Indian entries

Source: IANS

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New Delhi, Aug 25 (SocialNews.XYZ) The Indian women's star pair of Treesa Jolly and Gayatri Gopichand have received a major boost in the world rankings after their bronze medal win in the recently concluded BWF World Championships here. The star doubles pair has jumped 12 spots from No.39 to reach World No.27 as per the latest rankings update.

This follows after Treesa and Gayatri clinched the only medal for India at the home Worlds. The duo made their way to the semifinals and became the first Indian women's doubles pair to win a medal at the Championships since Jwala Gutta and Ashwini Ponnappa won a bronze in 2011.

The two now have 44,192 points to their name as they made a big jump in the latest rankings update. They were ranked World No.39 in the previous week's update with 33,692 points.

On their way to the medal, Treesa and Gayatri stunned fourth-seeded Chinese pair of Jia Yi Fan and Zhang Shu Xian in the quarterfinals, a brilliant come-from-behind win that saw them recover from a game down to clinch the contest 16-21, 21-15, 21-13. The two had a chance to beat the World No.1 and defending champions Liu Sheng Shu and Tan Ning in the final when they were a game up but lost the rest two games to take the bronze, which was India's only medal at the Worlds. With their historic bronze, India kept their streak of winning at least one medal at the Worlds since 2011.

Meanwhile, there was a major shake-up in the top 10 of the men's singles rankings. Indonesian shuttler Jonatan Christie has become the new World No.1 as he scaled two spots from third after his round-of-16 finish. Last week's World No.1 Shi Yuqi lost five places after his first-round defeat to India's Ayush Shetty as he now sits at No.6. Kunlavut Vitidsarn and Anders Antonsen also dropped a place each from No.2 and No.4, respectively.

Christo Popov jumped three places to reach No.2, while Chou Tien Chen is up by two places to stand fourth as per the latest rankings update. New World champion Alex Lanier has climbed three places to stand No.7, while India's Lakshya Sen is up one place to No.13 and Ayush Shetty climbed two places to reach No.20.

Source: IANS

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New Delhi, Aug 23 (SocialNews.XYZ) The 2028 edition of the India Open, the country's top event on the BWF World Series, will be held in Guwahati, moving from its present venue, New Delhi, for a year before returning to the national capital in 2029.

The Badminton Association of India secretary general Sanjay Mishra on Sunday announced the decision to move the India Open to Guwahati in 2028. The 2027 edition will be held in Delhi, as will the 2029 edition. Mishra said the reason the India Open is being moved to Guwahati is that that year it will be held towards the end of January, the same time period when Delhi will host the Republic Day Parade.

"The 2028 India Open will be held in the last week of January, and due to the tournament dates clashing with Republic Day security arrangements in the National capital. We felt that only for that year, we should shift the tournament to Guwahati. It will return to New Delhi in 2029," Mishra said in a statement released by the BAI on Sunday.

Earlier, Mishra expressed happiness over the praise the BAI received from other members of the Badminton World Federation (BWF) for successfully hosting the 2026 World Championship in New Delhi.

The BAI has come in for praise for the arrangements it made for the World Championship after copping criticism for the playing conditions at the New Delhi venue for the India Open in the last two seasons.

Asked whether he was happy with the successful conclusion of the World Championship, the BAI secretary general said, "Yes, we have done it. So, all the players are happy," he told IANS on Sunday.

Mishra invoked the example of a Danish shuttler Mia Blichfeldt, who had, earlier this year, criticised the playing conditions at the $950,000 India Open for the second year in a row, after questioning the state of the venue last year too.

"The biggest example is Mia Blichfeldt, who was negative last time. She was the first one to tweet and appreciate our efforts this time. And all the players, not only players, officials and BWF members, all of them appreciated it," said Mishra after the event went off without any glitch.

Source: IANS

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New Delhi, Aug 23 (SocialNews.XYZ) As the BWF World Championship 2026 concluded on Sunday with the home fans ecstatic over the historic bronze by Treesa Jolly and Gayatri Gopichand, Badminton Association of India (BAI) secretary general Sanjay Mishra expressed happiness over the praise they received for successfully hosting the mega event.

The BAI has faced criticism over the organisation of the India Open badminton competition over the last couple of years, but made special efforts and arrangements for the World Championship, which it hosted at the Indira Gandhi Indoor Stadium in the national capital.

Asked whether he was happy with the successful conclusion of the World Championship, the BAI secretary general said, "Yes, we have done it. So, all the players are happy," he told IANS on Sunday.

Mishra invoked the example of a Danish shuttler Mia Blichfeldt, who had, earlier this year, criticised the playing conditions at the $950,000 India Open for the second year in a row, after questioning the state of the venue last year too.

"The biggest example is Mia Blichfeldt, who was negative last time. She was the first one to tweet and appreciate our efforts this time. And all the players, not only players, officials and BWF members, all of them appreciated it," said Mishra after the event went off without any glitch.

Earlier in the day, Badminton World Federation (BWF) President Khunying Patama Leeswadtrakul praised India’s passionate badminton fans and said the country had 'opened its heart to the world' while reflecting on the successful hosting of the BWF World Championships 2026 in the national capital.

Patama highlighted the warmth of the Indian fans and the country’s ability to make the global badminton community feel welcome during the prestigious championships. “I am proud of the fans in India, who know this sport and cheer with real knowledge. And I am proud of a country that opened its heart to the world,” Patama said in an official statement released on Sunday.

The BWF president said the championships, which returned to India after 17 years, had received praise from across the badminton community and credited the host nation for delivering an event worthy of the sport’s biggest stage.

“What a week New Delhi has given us. India waited 17 years for this moment, and India made every year count. The BWF World Championships 2026 have won praise from every corner of our sport,” she said.

A couple of days back, Badminton World Federation (BWF) Secretary General Thomas Lund praised the facilities and conditions at the Indira Gandhi Sports Complex for the World Championships, expressing satisfaction over the venue's rapid transformation following earlier controversies.

Mishra too said that the BWF officials were very appreciative of the efforts put in by the BAI in organising the World Championship 2026.

"I was talking to BWF members, and they said that messages are coming from all over the world. All positive, no negatives, only positive messages," he said.

The BAI has made special efforts to have the stadium spruced up and even employed special 'monkey whisperers' to tackle the simian menace that has plagued sports events in New Delhi earlier.

Source: IANS

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New Delhi, Aug 23 (SocialNews.XYZ) The BWF World Championships 2026 concluded on Sunday with a slew of new records as mixed doubles combination of Thom Gicquel and Delphine Delrue won France's first gold medal and Alex Lanier later added the men's singles crown to their tally while An Se Young of Korea bagged her second gold medal in women's singles at the Indira Gandhi Indoor Stadium in New Delhi.

Last edition's bronze medallists Gicquel and Delrue went two steps ahead as they upset top seeds Feng Yan She and Huang Dong Ping of China 22-20, 19-21, 21-15 in an hour and 18 minutes to write their name in the history books. France then became only the second European nation to win more than one gold medal in a single edition when Lanier outplayed Japan's Kodai Naraoka 21-11, 21-11 in just 50 minutes.

The Korean contingent will also go home with two gold medals after women's world number 1 An Se Young regained the world crown by defeating defending champion Akane Yamaguchi 21-17, 21-14, while Baek Ha Na and Lee So Hee ended a 31-year wait for a women's doubles crown by upsetting Chinese top seeds Liu Sheng Shu and Tan Ning 21-15, 21-15. Korea last won the women's doubles title in 1995. Treesa Jolly and Gayatri Gopichand received their bronze medals as well.

Lee also became the oldest women's doubles world champion at 32 years and 70 days.

Both the singles finals turned out to be straight-game affairs as the eventual champions found an additional gear in the second half of both games. In the women's singles final, An won four straight points from 17-17 to take the opening game and then raced from 11-10 to 21-14 to win in the second.

In the men's singles final, Lanier turned up the heat while trailing 7-9 in the opening game, winning 13 of the next 14 points to take control. The Frenchman never looked in trouble in the second game and won seven straight points from 14-11 to be crowned France's first men's singles champion.

With China's record of winning at least one title since they entered the world championships in 1983 on the line, third seeds Liang Wei Keng and Wang Chang rose to the occasion by beating former champions Aaron Chia and Soh Wooi Yik of Malaysia 21-16, 21-17 to continue the streak. This was Liang and Wang's first World title.

The final day of action in Delhi once again witnessed a solid turnout from fans, who got to cheer for Treesa and Gayatri's bronze while Korea's An Se Young was perhaps the most popular player of the day as she proved once again why she is the best in the world.

Final results:

Men's singles: 9-Alex Lanier (FRA) bt 10-Kodai Naraoka (JPN) 21-11, 21-11

Women's singles: 1-An Se Young (KOR) bt 2-Akane Yamaguchi (JPN) 21-17, 21-14

Men's doubles: 3-Liang Wei Kang/Wang Chang (CHN) bt 4-Aaron Chia/Soh Wooi Yik (MAS) 21-16, 21-17

Women's doubles: 3-Baek Ha Na/Lee So Hee (KOR) bt 1-Liu Sheng Shu/Tan Ning (CHN) 21-15, 21-15

Mixed doubles: 5-Thom Gicquel/Delphine Delrue (FRA) bt 1-Feng Yan Zhe/Huang Dong Ping (CHN) 22-20, 19-21, 21-15

Source: IANS

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New Delhi, Aug 23 (SocialNews.XYZ) Before the New Delhi World Championships 2026, France had only ever won two bronze medals in the entire history of the tournament. On Sunday, they added two gold medals to their kitty, completely rewriting their future.

At just 21 years old, Alex Lanier has made history in New Delhi, defeating Kodai Naraoka 21-11, 21-11 to become the first Frenchman to win the men's singles title in the BWF World Championships.

The victory gives France its second gold medal of the 2026 World Championships, following the historic mixed doubles triumph of Thom Gicquel and Delphine Delrue, who became the first French pair to win a World Championships medal.

For Thom and Delphine, it is a remarkable step up from last year's World Championships in France, where the pair took bronze. Twelve months later, they have gone all the way to gold. Their victory also ended a 17-year wait for a European pair to win the mixed doubles World Championships.

In just one week, French badminton went from being an underdog to sitting on top of the world. For national singles coach Kestutis Navickas, this success wasn't magic; it was a change in mindset and the belief that the French shuttlers are no less than others.

When asked about the mental changes with the players that led to two gold medals this year, Navickas replied to IANS: "The belief."

He continued, "The belief that we belong here and the belief that we can do it... With Alex, we won tournaments already. Thom and Delphine, they won tournaments already. So why not? Why are we worse? We are not worse."

The players already knew how to win on the regular tour, but conquering the World Championships required matching the top Asian powers in confidence. The coaching team focused on building momentum, sharpening their skills, and teaching the players to trust that they truly belonged on the biggest stage.

"I believe it's a belief in the whole country, in the whole badminton society now," Navickas said. "There is a belief that we can win."

When asked how his team will be welcomed on returning as world champions, Navickas stayed humble: "I don't know. We never became champions. Maybe they will surprise us."

Source: IANS

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New Delhi, Aug 23 (SocialNews.XYZ) An Se Young returned to the summit of women’s badminton with a statement victory, defeating defending champion Akane Yamaguchi 21-17, 21-14 to claim her second BWF World Championships title in New Delhi on Sunday.

The world No. 1 produced a composed display in a final played at relentless speed, absorbing Yamaguchi’s attacking bursts before taking control at crucial moments. The Japanese star, ranked No. 2, repeatedly threatened to turn the contest around, but An’s consistency and ability to finish points under pressure proved decisive.

The opening game remained finely balanced, with neither player able to establish a significant advantage. Yamaguchi moved 16-15 ahead after An had led 15-12, but the Olympic champion responded immediately. Four consecutive points, combining precise winners with errors from Yamaguchi, handed An the first game.

Yamaguchi again started strongly in the second, moving 4-2 ahead, but An quickly shifted the momentum. She moved in front at 7-6 and then created a four-point cushion at 11-7. Yamaguchi briefly reduced the deficit, but An refused to allow another comeback.

A 16-11 lead put An firmly in command. At 17-13, she produced one of the points of the match, winning a long exchange before finishing with a delicate drop that sent Yamaguchi sprawling. Three more points followed, sealing the championship in straight games.

The triumph completes a remarkable return to the top for An, who won her maiden world title in Copenhagen in 2023 before becoming Olympic champion in Paris the following year. She took bronze at last year’s World Championships in Paris.

An also extended her winning streak against Yamaguchi to six matches, improving her overall record against the Japanese to 20-15.

She completed her six-match campaign in New Delhi without dropping a game, reclaiming the crown she had lost last year.

Yamaguchi, a three-time world champion, had been seeking an unprecedented fourth women’s singles title but was denied by An’s controlled finish.

The victory also keeps An as the only South Korean singles player, male or female, to have won a world title.

Source: IANS

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New Delhi, Aug 23 (SocialNews.XYZ) Badminton World Federation (BWF) President Khunying Patama Leeswadtrakul praised India’s passionate badminton fans and said the country had 'opened its heart to the world' while reflecting on the successful hosting of the BWF World Championships 2026 in the national capital.

Patama highlighted the warmth of the Indian fans and the country’s ability to make the global badminton community feel welcome during the prestigious championships. “I am proud of the fans in India, who know this sport and cheer with real knowledge. And I am proud of a country that opened its heart to the world,” Patama said in an official statement released on Sunday.

The BWF president said the championships, which returned to India after 17 years, had received praise from across the badminton community and credited the host nation for delivering an event worthy of the sport’s biggest stage.

“What a week New Delhi has given us. India waited 17 years for this moment, and India made every year count. The BWF World Championships 2026 have won praise from every corner of our sport,” she said.

Patama praised the Badminton Association of India (BAI), the Government of India, the Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports and the Sports Authority of India for their roles in staging the tournament.

She also acknowledged the contribution of volunteers, technical officials, sponsors and partners, saying much of their work took place away from the spotlight.

“Our volunteers gave countless days with a smile. Our technical officials worked long hours, calm, professional and full of pride. Much of what they did happened far from the cameras, and none of this could have happened without them,” she said.

The BWF chief also praised the facilities and arrangements provided for the players and team officials, stressing that their experience remained the most important measure of a successful championship.

“The players came first, and it showed. Good hotels, reliable transport and facilities that allowed them to prepare in peace. Players and team officials praised our courts, our conditions and everything around them. That matters more than anything,” Patama said.

India also produced memorable performances on court. Treesa Jolly and Gayatri Gopichand secured a historic bronze medal in women's doubles after reaching the semifinals, becoming only the second Indian women's doubles pair to win a World Championships medal.

In men's singles, Ayush Shetty stunned defending champion and world No. 1 Shi Yuqi in the opening round, providing another major highlight for the home crowd.

Patama said the tournament's impact could extend well beyond the results, particularly among the young fans who watched the world's best players in action.

“Yet beyond the medals and the matches, I will remember the children most. Many of them came to see the finest players in the world. Some held a racket for the first time. One or two may return one day to collect a medal of their own,” she said.

“That is what a great host leaves behind. Not only a tournament, but a beginning. Thank you, India,' she concluded.

Source: IANS

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New Delhi, Aug 23 (SocialNews.XYZ) ​French badminton history was written in pure gold as Thom Gicquel and Delphine Delrue clinched their first-ever BWF World Championships title, and their victory lap is already legendary.

The party kicked off the second they stepped into the mixed zone, where their coaching staff blindsided them with a pop of champagne. But that victory splash was just the opening act.

​When IANS asked the French mixed doubles pair how they plan to truly celebrate the historic gold, Gicquel kept it unapologetically direct: ​"We are gonna take the bottle and put it in our mouth. That's the goal."

Gicquel and Delrue outplayed top seeds Feng Yan Zhe/Huang Dong Ping in a tactical masterclass in the mixed doubles final at the Indira Gandhi Sports Complex in New Delhi on Sunday. It was Europe’s first gold in a paired event since 2009 – incidentally, also in India – when Denmark’s Thomas Laybourn/Kamilla Rytter-Juhl won the title.

The French completely took Huang out of the equation at the net, and even dared to flick-serve Feng from time to time. In fact, it was a flick serve on match point that finally delivered the historic moment for France.

"A lot of emotion, really, really happy and super proud to win the first gold for France,” said Delrue after the win. "It was an amazing match; both pairs played really well, and we had to try a lot for a win. It’s amazing to hear the national anthem on the podium for the first time."

"We’re thinking, it’s amazing to be between two Chinese flags,” said Gicquel. “When you are 10 years old, you don’t really think that can happen, and it’s really hard to believe, actually. It’s really important for French badminton.”

Sharing the experience of playing in India, the French duo said, "I think it was very good this week. It was well-organised; also, (there were) a lot of people inside the hall to help. We saw a big difference compared to the India Open, where sometimes it's tough.

"The air is difficult, so I hope the BWF will now try to make India host in the summer rather than in the winter, where it's difficult to breathe and it's really cold."

Source: IANS

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New Delhi, Aug 23 (SocialNews.XYZ) Indian shuttler Treesa Jolly said she had visualised herself standing on the World Championships podium every day over the last three months, and seeing that dream come true made her historic bronze medal with Gayatri Gopichand even more special.

“I actually manifested every day being on that podium. I think that's somewhere the manifestation, that belief. Every day you dream for that. Every day you visualise yourself manifesting that. I think that you can see it actually happening today,” Treesa told IANS.

Treesa and Gayatri went down 21-18, 13-21, 8-21 to the defending champions China’s Liu Sheng Shu and Tan Ning in the last four, but their run had already secured India a historic women's doubles bronze, the country's first medal in the event at the World Championships since Jwala Gutta and Ashwini Ponnappa's bronze in 2011.

The Indian duo produced one of the biggest results of the tournament by defeating fourth seeds Jia Yi Fan and Zhang Shu Xian in the quarterfinals to assure themselves of a medal.

Reflecting on the mindset that helped the pair overcome the challenges, Treesa said she had learned to strike the right balance between aggression and calmness.

“I feel like this time, this tournament, I was converting into calmness and aggressiveness. When I need the aggressiveness, I just need to use that. When I need to be in a position where I need to handle the situation, I just need to be calm,” she said.

“I think that changed in me. That helped us too. I think playing with Chinese and all, you cannot give easy points. You need to be alert from the first to the 21st point,” she added.

That approach was evident throughout their campaign, particularly in the quarterfinal against the fourth-seeded Chinese pair.

“I think that's what we did here. We were so alert, and we were not ready to give any easy points to them. In our mind, it was like they needed to struggle to get points from us. I think that really worked. When we played the quarterfinals, at the end of the game, actually the Chinese cracked because we were so alert and we were not giving points away. That really helped us,” Treesa said.

Against Liu and Tan, Treesa and Gayatri started strongly and took the opening game 21-18 after a tense battle. The Chinese duo responded by winning the second game 21-13 before dominating the decider 21-8.

Despite falling short of a historic World Championships final appearance, Treesa said the medal was something she would cherish for the rest of her life.

‘This is kind of a dream come true. Arjun Award, being a World Championship medallist. I think this is an amazing week. I think in my life, I always cherish these moments,” she said.

Source: IANS

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New Delhi, Aug 22 (SocialNews.XYZ) Gayatri Gopichand described India’s historic World Championships campaign as an “amazing journey” and admitted to being overwhelmed by the emotions surrounding the achievement after she and Treesa Jolly secured a landmark bronze medal despite their semifinal exit.

The Indian duo’s fairytale run came to an end as defending champions Liu Sheng Shu and Tan Ning of China came from behind to defeat them 18-21, 21-13, 21-8 in the semifinals.

Despite the loss, Treesa and Gayatri won India’s first women’s doubles medal at the World Championships after 15 years, since Jwala Gutta and Ashwini Ponnappa won bronze in 2011.

“I think it’s been amazing. I think it’s been an amazing journey,” Gayatri told IANS.

The Indian duo came into the tournament without much momentum after injury setbacks, with Treesa’s ankle injury earlier this year sidelining her from competition for three months. But their performances at the Philippines Challenge gave them the belief they could take on the best in the world

“I think coming to this tournament, we just wanted to believe in ourselves and I feel like after Philippines Challenge, I think the momentum was there,” Gayatri said.

“So we were pretty confident after the way we played that tournament because we've also beat some good pairs there. So coming to this tournament, we were confident that we could play this level.”

Treesa and Gayatri then followed up that confidence by beating pairs from Spain and the USA in the early rounds before pulling off one of the biggest results of the tournament in the quarterfinals where they stunned fourth seeds Jia Yi Fan and Zhang Shu Xian of China to assure themselves of a medal.

“Even in the first few rounds, I think we've played against Spain, USA and all of them were doing great at this level, at the highest level,” Gayatri said.

“So after beating those pairs, I think we've got even more confident because they're playing a great badminton.”

The Indians then gave top seeds Liu and Tan a tough fight in the semifinal. Treesa and Gayatri fought back from 18-21 down to level the second game at 10-all but the Chinese pair raised their game to force a decider and dominated the final game.

“We didn’t have any expectations going into the quarterfinal and we just focused on executing our game plan,” said Gayatri.

“Even the quarterfinal, I think when I was getting on court, I didn't have any expectations because we've played them before and I think they're not going to give easy points,” she said.

“So after the first set, I think we've changed a few tactics and we stayed patient, stick to our plan, didn't do anything out of the box. So I think it worked for us and we're super happy with the bronze medal.”

The medal was also a stunning comeback for Treesa whose injury had interrupted the pairing’s season. The achievement was even more special for Gayatri, thanks to the support and energy of her partner on court.

“Definitely. But sometimes also, I'm also like surprised. I'm shocked when she's shouting and I'm like scared also sometimes,” Gayatri said with a smile.

“But I think that definitely boosts my confidence as well and her presence on court is amazing.”

With support from the home crowd, the occasion was even more emotional, with Gayatri admitting she had not expected the stadium to be packed.

“It's been a mix of all emotions, I think. Very emotional, super happy and a lot of emotions,” she said.

“Even getting in the stadium yesterday, I think the whole stadium was packed. I didn't expect that. I was just so happy because badminton is finally getting the recognition that it deserves.”

Source: IANS

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New Delhi, Aug 22 (SocialNews.XYZ) The French contingent had a lot to celebrate in the first half of the semifinals day as they sealed two final spots in the BWF World Championships 2026 at the Indira Gandhi Stadium in New Delhi on Saturday.

Fifth-seeded mixed doubles combination of Thom Gicquel and Delphine Delrue came from a game down to upset second-seeded Chinese pairing of Jiang Zhen Bang and Wei Ya Xin to become the first-ever French finalists in the history of the World Championships. The French pairing led 12-0 in the decider and did not let go of that advantage despite some late pressure from their opponents, winning 19-21, 21-13, 21-11.

Ninth seed Alex Lanier then joined the duo for final day action after he got the better of Canada's seventh seed Victor Lai 16-21, 21-13, 21-14 in the men's singles semifinal that lasted 85 minutes.

The side's heroics came soon after the hosts ended their campaign in the 2026 World Cup with a historic bronze as Treesa Jolly and Gayatri Gopichand put up a spirited fight against world number one Chinese combination of Liu Sheng Shu and Tan Ning but went down in three games.

Treesa and Gayatri, ranked 39th in the world, had accounted for three seeded pairs to reach the semifinals, ending India's 15-year wait for a women's doubles medal since Jwala Gutta and Ashwini Ponnappa achieved that feat back in 2011.

Later in the day, defending champion Akane Yamaguchi stayed on course for a historic fourth world title when she accounted for Thailand's Pornpawee Chochuwong 21-12, 21-17 in the first women's singles semifinal.

Important results:

Men's Singles: 9-Alex Lanier (FRA) bt 7-Victor Lai (CAN) 16-21, 21-13, 21-14

Women's Singles: 2-Akane Yamaguchi (JPN) bt 10-Pornpawee Chochuwong (THA) 21-12, 21-17

Women's doubles: 1-Liu Sheng Shu/Tan Ning bt Gayatri Gopichand/Treesa Jolly (IND) 18-21, 21-13, 21-8; 3-Baek Ha Na/Lee So Hee (KOR) bt 8-Li Yi Jing/Luo Xu Min 21-17, 21-12

Mixed doubles: 1-Feng Yan Zhe/Huang Dong Ping (CHN) bt Amri Syahnawi/Nita Marwah (INA) 20-22, 21-14, 22-20; 5-Thom Gicquel/Delphine Delrue (FRA) bt 2-Jiang Zhen Bang/Wei Ya Xin (CHN) 19-21, 21-13, 21-11

Source: IANS

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New Delhi, Aug 22 (SocialNews.XYZ) Chief coach Pullela Gopichand believes Treesa Jolly and Gayatri Gopichand's historic World Championships bronze can provide a major boost to India's next generation, while insisting the young women's doubles pair still have plenty of success ahead of them.

"I think both of them are young; it's not like this is the only performance they've had. They've been a top 10 pair; they had two All England semifinals; they have a Commonwealth medal and two Asian championships. So overall, they've done well over the last few years, but they are young, so they will continue to play for a while," Gopichand told IANS.

"So in that sense, yes. But as far as the larger ecosystem is concerned, I'm sure this will be a confidence booster for the other younger players as well, to get us good performances in the future," he added.

The fairytale campaign of Treesa and Gayatri at the World Championships came to an end when they lost to the defending champions and top seeds Liu Sheng Shu and Tan Ning from China, 21 to 18, 13 to 21, 8 to 21, in the semifinal on Friday.

Even though they had lost, the Indian pair still secured a historic bronze medal—India's first women's doubles World Championships medal in 15 years, since Jwala Gutta and Ashwini Ponnappa won bronze in 2011.

The achievement was especially impressive considering the injuries that had disturbed the preparation of Treesa and Gayatri; Treesa's ankle injury at the beginning of the year had kept her out of competition for three months, and so the two had lost a good deal of momentum before the home World Championships.

They achieved one of the most significant results of the tournament by beating the fourth-seeded pair Jia Yi Fan and Zhang Shu Xian in the quarterfinals and thus securing a medal. It was Gopichand who attributed their consistency and the whole support team for having helped them to launch such a strong campaign even though they had no tournament experience.

"I think there's no secret to it, in the sense you just need to go out there and put in consistent work," he said. "Yes, both of them have really worked hard. The entire team behind them, whether it's the strength and conditioning or the physio team. I think Sumit, who was there, I think overall everybody has helped them and basically at the end of the day, they worked hard."

The chief coach also praised the pair for handling the pressure of playing on the biggest stage, particularly during the tight moments of their knockout matches.

"And more importantly, when you get to a stage like this, when there are people, when there is pressure, you go out there and give it your best shot. And that's what they've done. And to pull out those matches, when it's 13-all, 14-all, when you're a game down, to pull them needs some amount of strength," Gopichand said.

The head coach also commended the two for the way they coped with the pressure of playing on such a major stage, especially in the crucial moments of their knockout games. "Typically what happens is when people haven't played a few tournaments, they take time to get back. But that was not the case. They went in directly, and from the first match, they looked very sharp," he said.

"Well, I think Sindhu was close to winning that; Unnathy was close to winning that. And then Ayush had a fantastic first round. I thought he could have pulled out that match as well," he said.

"Although we've lost and probably we didn't have anybody at the quarter-stage, I do believe that this performance could have been better with a little bit of luck in that sense."

"But not too worried. I'm sure at the Asian Games, we'll have some better results," Gopichand added.

Source: IANS

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New Delhi, Aug 22 (SocialNews.XYZ) The Indian women's doubles pair of Treesa Jolly and Gayatri Gopichand signed off with a bronze medal after going down to defending champions Liu Sheng Shu and Tan Ning of China 21-18, 13-21, 8-21 in the women's doubles semifinals played in New Delhi on Saturday.

Despite the heartbreaking end to their fairytale run, Treesa and Gayatri walk away with a historic bronze medal—India's first women's doubles medal at the World Championships in 15 years after Jwala Gutta and Ashwini Ponnappa won bronze in 2011.

The Indian pair, haunted by injury setbacks, finally achieved their career’s biggest moment on home soil when they beat one of the title favourites, outplaying fourth seeds Jia Yi Fan/Zhang Shu Xian in the quarterfinals to assure themselves of a medal.

Treesa, whose ankle injury earlier this year had ruled her out of competition for three months, and Gayatri came to the World Championships without much momentum, but they pulled off one of the biggest results of this edition, outplaying fourth seeds in the quarterfinals.

The Indians came into the semifinals with an aim of becoming the first Indian pair to enter the women's doubles final at the World Championships, but the Chinese proved a bit too strong for them and thwarted their dream of entering a historic final.

Fuelled by the deafening roar of the home crowd, Treesa Jolly and Gayatri Gopichand ignited the arena early, charging out to a commanding 4-1 lead with sharp intensity. However, the top-seeded Chinese duo of Liu Sheng Shu and Tan Ning quickly showcased their class. Refusing to let the momentum slip away, Liu and Tan staged a swift, clinical fightback, clawing their way back to narrow the gap to 7-5.

A net foul by the Indian pair handed the momentum right back, levelling the scores at 7-all and hushing the partisan crowd. Capitalising on the sudden energy shift, the Chinese pair snatched the lead at 8-7.

Unforced errors began to creep into the Indians' game, handing away easy points to their ruthless opponents. Liu and Tan seized the opening without hesitation, motoring ahead to seal a comfortable 11-7 cushion heading into the mid-game interval.

After the break, Treesa and Gayatri immediately shifted gears. Playing with sharp tactical precision at the net, the Indian duo forced their opponents into a string of unforced errors, slicing the deficit to 11-12.

Treesa then unleashed her aggression, dominating the backcourt and forcing the Chinese pair onto the back foot to cap off a thrilling 31-shot rally. Another gruelling exchange swung the lead back in India’s favour, though Liu and Tan responded with retaliation, swiftly reclaiming a 16-13 advantage.

But Treesa’s explosive attacks kept the Chinese pair from pulling away. The Indians clawed their way back once more to level the proceedings at 16-all. The arena turned into a pressure cooker as both pairs stood neck-and-neck, trading blows in lightning-fast flat exchanges and exhausting, end-to-end rallies.

The pendulum swung again when the Chinese pair edged ahead to 18-16, but Treesa and Gayatri saved their absolute best for the climax. Displaying pristine court coverage and razor-sharp shots, the Indians reeled off consecutive points to outmanoeuvre the Chinese and earn a coveted game point.

With chief coach Pullela Gopichand signalling calmly from the sidelines to keep their composure, the Indian pair held their nerve brilliantly, closing out a thrilling opening game 21-18.

The top-seeded Chinese pair came out firing in the second game, quickly establishing a 4-1 lead and stretching it to 5-2. Refusing to panic or rush into reckless aggression, Treesa Jolly and Gayatri Gopichand methodically chipped away at the deficit, patience paying off as they clawed back to 7-8.

A flurry of sudden unforced errors briefly swung the momentum back to Liu Sheng Shu and Tan Ning, but the Indian pair regrouped instantaneously. Splicing together precise placements and sharp defense, Treesa and Gayatri levelled the score at 10-all before edging ahead to carry a thrilling 11-10 advantage into the mid-game interval.

Coming out of the break, the Chinese duo unleashed an absolute storm, re-engaging with all guns blazing to snatch back a 12-11 lead. However, the defining moment of the game arrived in a monumental 49-shot rally where Liu and Tan narrowly claimed to restore a one-point cushion.

Riding the high of that marathon exchange, the Chinese pair seized complete control, stringing together five consecutive points to build a commanding 17-12 lead. Unrelenting till the final push, Liu and Tan closed out the second game 21-13 to force a high-stakes deciding set.

With everything on the line, the decider began as a high-stakes encounter, both pairs exchanging fierce, exhaustive rallies to lock the score early at 2-all. But Liu Sheng Shu and Tan Ning swiftly shifted into another gear. Unleashing a display of raw power, the Chinese pair broke open a four-point cushion at 6-2.

Treesa and Gayatri managed to stem the tide momentarily with a couple of clever, delicate interventions at the net to trim an 8-3 deficit, but the top seeds refused to let up, storming to a dominant 11-5 advantage at the final mid-game interval.

Any hopes of a dramatic Indian comeback faded after the change of sides. Maintaining a tight grip on the tempo, Liu and Tan extended their chokehold to a formidable 15-5 lead, leaving Treesa and Gayatri with an insurmountable mountain to climb.

The Indian duo fought, but the clinical Chinese pair protected their 10-point cushion, suffocating every attempt at a run before closing out a decisive 21-8 victory in the decider to seal the match.

Source: IANS

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New Delhi, Aug 21 (SocialNews.XYZ) Indian star doubles shuttlers Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty on Friday lost out in the quarterfinal of the ongoing BWF World Championships to Chinese pair Liang Wei Keng and Wang Chang, which dashed their hopes of a medal on home soil. The shuttlers, who have won two bronze medals at the BWF Worlds, went down to the Chinese duo 18-21, 9-21 in a 36-minute rubber at the Indira Gandhi Indoor Stadium.

Satwik and Chirag reflected on their performance, stating that they gave it their all despite the circumstances and now put their focus on the upcoming Asian Games in Aichi-Nagoya next month. "I think in the first game, we had a good lead, probably 3-4 points ahead. But we knew it's never easy playing against them. They play a very solid high-pressure game, and the shuttle travels extremely fast," Chirag told reporters after their loss in the quarterfinal.

"We knew it would come (fast strokes), but I think we lost a couple of points here and there and eventually it became back and forth, and we lost the first game," he said.

Satwik has been dealing with a shoulder injury for the last few years. While the duo won the Singapore Open Super 750, the issue forced the duo to retire mid-match at the Indonesia Open and Japan Open. Chirag stressed that while it hurts not to win a medal at the home World Championship, the duo gave it their all despite Satwik dealing with a shoulder issue.

"Obviously it would hurt. We are playing a World Championship on our home soil. To see such a huge crowd turn up and cheer for us obviously feels sad, but in the circumstances that we came in, I think we gave it our all and yeah feels bad but I think to be playing a World Championship at home feels special," he further said.

On being asked how his shoulder feels, Satwik said it was "fine" for the game and is a "little mental" thing for him. "It was fine for today's match. Yesterday it was a little bit more intense. "I could recover it pretty much well, so it wasn't bothering much but it's just a little mental thing for me to open up and play fully because it's been while I played a match so I was getting better and better I was getting confident but there was no pain there's just a stiffness so it's just normal yeah definitely," Satwik said.

The duo now look forward to the Asian Games. "The Asian Games is a big event. We want to go back to train, and look at the loopholes that we have and correct them, get better as we look forward to the Asian Games," Chirag concluded.

Source: IANS

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New Delhi, Aug 21 (SocialNews.XYZ) Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty’s bid for a second straight World Championships semi-final ended on Friday as China’s Liang Wei Keng and Wang Chang defeated the Indian pair 21-18, 21-9 in the men’s doubles quarter-finals here at the Indira Gandhi Indoor Stadium.

The loss brought an end to India’s men’s doubles campaign at the tournament and left Treesa Jolly and Gayatri Gopichand as the country’s only remaining representatives. The women’s doubles pair had booked a semi-final place earlier in the day, securing at least a bronze medal.

Satwik and Chirag, who had arrived in New Delhi as defending bronze medallists from the previous edition, found themselves under pressure from the opening exchanges. Liang and Wang quickly moved 3-0 ahead, with their attacking play causing problems for the Indians.

The fifth-seeded pair gradually settled and began matching their opponents point for point. Satwik and Chirag even managed to take a narrow 11-10 advantage at the interval, setting up what looked like a tight finish.

The Indian pair maintained a small cushion after the break, but the Chinese combination refused to let them escape. At 18-18, the contest was finely balanced and the pressure shifted to the closing rallies.

Liang then produced a powerful smash that Chirag could not return, putting China ahead 19-18. Two further mistakes from Chirag — one into the net and another beyond the baseline — handed Liang and Wang the opening game.

The second game turned into a very different contest.

Satwik and Chirag struggled to recover their momentum and allowed their opponents to build a 6-1 lead. The gap had widened to 11-5 by the interval, leaving the Indians with a steep climb.

Liang and Wang continued to dictate the pace after the restart, while the Indian pair could not find the attacking response that had kept them competitive earlier. The Chinese pair moved rapidly towards the finish and closed out the game 21-9.

The match lasted only 35 minutes, ending Satwik and Chirag’s hopes of improving on their bronze-medal finish from 2025.

The Indians had also reached the semi-finals last year before losing to China’s Chen Bo Yang and Liu Yi. This time, another Chinese combination proved too strong, ending their campaign in the last eight.

Source: IANS

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New Delhi, Aug 21 (SocialNews.XYZ) Defending champions South Delhi Superstarz opened their 2026 Women's Delhi Premier League (DPL) campaign with a convincing 29-run victory over Central Delhi Queens, thanks to a crucial half-century from Tanisha Singh.

Tanisha top-scored with 64 and had a match-defining 82-run stand with Nishika Singh as Superstarz made 156/5 before restricting the Queens to 127/7. “I don't look at it as pressure; it’s a responsibility.

“The team made it clear that my role was to spend time at the crease, rotate the strike, and find ways to hit boundaries while helping my partner play freely. I backed my potential and knew that if I stayed out there, the runs would come,” she said in a statement by the tournament on Friday.

She also recalled how during her partnership with Nishika, the focus was on running between the wickets to break the rhythm of the opposition attack. “Nishika and I kept talking about spending as much time on the wicket as possible and milking singles.

“Singles put a different kind of pressure on the bowler, forcing them to bowl loose deliveries. Once we got a boundary early in the over, we knew how to capitalize and turn it into a big over.”

With the ball, Mayuri Singh's disciplined spell of 2-15 in her four overs kept the proceedings under control. Despite the winning start, Tanisha noted there’s further room for improvement in the field from her team.

“Our batting was good, but we lacked a bit in bowling and fielding. That’s why they managed to reach 127. Our bowlers gave a bit too much flight today, which Nidhi took advantage of. If we bowl flatter on this pitch, it works much better. I know our team can do better.”

Source: IANS

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New Delhi, Aug 21 (SocialNews.XYZ) India's women's doubles duo of Treesa Jolly and Gayatri Gopichand have staged an upset at the BWF World Championships after handing a shock loss to the world no. 4 Chinese pair of Ji Yifan and Zhang Shuxian to enter the semifinals, confirming a medal for the country.

The Indians, coming from game down, registered a 16-21, 21-15, 21-13 win over the Chinese to become the second-ever pair to win a BWF World Championships medal in women's doubles. In 2011, Jwala Gutta and Ashwini Ponnappa won bronze, securing India's second-ever World Championships medal -- 28 years after the country's maiden medal in 1983 (Prakash Padukone's men's singles bronze).

The Indian duo looked vulnerable early on as Jia and Zhang raced to a 6-2 lead and kept their advantage through the opening game. Treesa and Gayatri gradually found their attacking rhythm, using their powerful smashes and sharper exchanges at the net to close the gap to 8-9.

The recovery, however, was not enough to prevent the Chinese to head into the breather with 11-8 advantage and eventually sealing the opening game 21-16.

The response in the second game was immediate. The Indians refused to allow their opponents the same control, matching them in the longer rallies while defending under pressure as they earned a slender 11-10 advantage at the interval.

From there, Treesa and Gayatri grew increasingly assertive. Their cross-court attacks repeatedly stretched the Chinese pair across the court, while their defence absorbed Jia and Zhang’s pressure. The Indians opened a 17-14 lead before closing out the game 21-15 to force a decider.

In the decider, after an even start at 4-4, Treesa found the breakthrough with a powerful smash, and the Indians suddenly surged. Seven consecutive points turned the contest on its head, taking them from 4-all to 9-4. Treesa’s attack continued to cause damage for the Chinese, and the Indians entered the interval with a commanding 11-5 lead.

After the change of sides, Jia and Zhang briefly attempted to revive their challenge, but the Indian earned three straight points to restore their momentum. With the Chinese pair increasingly under pressure, errors began to creep into their game.

At 18-9, the Indians were within touching distance. A review after Zhang’s shot was called out did little to alter the outcome, and two further errors from Chinese handed Treesa and Gayatri the decisive points.

Later in the day, the men’s doubles pair of Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty remain in contention for another medal. The fifth seeds will face Chinese third seeds Liang Weikeng and Wang Chang in the quarterfinals.

A win for the duo would confirm India’s second medal at the World Championships and third for Satwik and Chirag, having won the bronze in 2022 and 2025.

-- IANS

vi/bc

Source: IANS

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New Delhi, Aug 20 (SocialNews.XYZ) Chinese player Li Shifeng and the 2021 winner Loh Kean Yew of Singapore crashed out of the men's singles section of the BWF World Championship 2026 at the Indira Gandhi Indoor Stadium in New Delhi on Thursday.

Shifeng lost a hard-fought three-game match against Japan's Kodai Naraoka in the Round of 16 of the men's singles event. Li squandered a one-game advantage to go down 13-21, 23-21, 21-11. Defending champion Shi Yuqi and Weng Hongyang were both eliminated in earlier rounds.

Loh Kean Yew, who is ranked 13th in this edition, went down to seventh seed Victor Lai of Canada, 22-20, 21-18. There was another upset as Rasmus Gemke of Denmark stunned third seed Jonatan Christie of Indonesia, 11-21, 21-13, 21-18.

In women's singles, third-seeded Wang Zhiyi of China fought her way into the quarterfinals, overcoming ninth-seeded P. V. Sindhu 21-11, 15-21, 21-17 in an 88-minute thriller, reports Xinhua.

Her compatriot Han Yue also advanced after a hard-fought three-game victory by beating South Korea's Kim Ga-eun 21-19, 20-22, 21-14. Former Olympic champion Chen Yufei exited, beaten by Thailand's Pornpawee Chochuwong 15-21, 25-23, 21-17.

In men's doubles, Chinese pair Liang Weikeng and Wang Chang survived a three-game thriller against Denmark's Kim Astrup and Anders Skaarup Rasmussen, prevailing 22-20, 8-21, 21-19.

In women's doubles, top seeds Liu Shengshu and Tan Ning eased past Bulgarian sisters Gabriela and Stefani Stoeva 21-16, 21-18. Fourth-seeded Jia Yifan/Zhang Shuxian and Li Yijing/Luo Xumin also sealed quarterfinal spots.

China's mixed pairs kept their strong momentum going. Top seeds Feng Yanzhe and Huang Dongping defeated Japan's Yuta Watanabe and Mayu Taguchi 21-19, 21-18, while fellow duos Jiang Zhenbang/Wei Yaxin, Cheng Xing/Zhang Chi and Guo Xinwa/Chen Fanghui also booked their quarterfinal berths.

Important results:

Men's singles: 7-Victor Lai (CAN) bt 13-Loh Kean Yew (SGP) 22-20, 21-18; Rasmus Gemke (DEN) bt 3-Jonatan Christie (INA) 11-21, 21-13, 21-18; 11-Alwi Farhan (INA) bt Ayush Shetty (IND) 21-19, 21-11; 10-Kodai Naraoka (JPN) bt 8-Li Shi Feng (CHN) 13-21, 23-21, 21-11

Women's singles: 1-An Se Young (KOR) bt 16-Mia Blichfeldt (DEN) 21-16, 21-10; 10-Pornpawee Chochuwong (THA) bt 4-Chen Yufei (CHN) 15-21, 25-23, 21-17; 13-Michelle Li (CAN) bt 8-Tomoka Miyazaki (JPN) 17-21, 21-16, 21-18; 2-Akane Yamaguchi (JPN) bt 14-Sim You Jin (KOR) 21-17, 21-10; 15-Line Chirstophersen (DEN) bt 6-Putri Wardani (INA) 21-18, 21-17; 3-Wang Zhi Yi (CHN) bt 9-PV Sindhu (IND) 21-11, 15-21, 21-17

Men's doubles: 5-Chirag Shetty/Satwiksairaj Rankireddy (IND) bt Junaidi Arif/Yap Roy King (MAS) 21-23, 21-19, 21-17; 3-Liang Wei Keng/Wang Chang (CHN) bt Kim Astrup/Anders Rasmussen (DEN) 22-20, 8-21, 21-19

Women's doubles: Gayatri Gopichand/Treesa Jolly (IND) bt 7-Rin Iwanaga/Kie Nakanishi (JPN) 21-16, 21-12; 4-Jia Yi Fan/Zhang Shu Xian bt Hsieh Pei Shan/Hung En-Tzu (TPE) 21-11, 21-18; 13-Febriana Kusuma/Meilysa Puspitasari (INA) bt 5-Pearly Tan/Thinaah Muralitharan (MAS) 20-22, 21-18, 21-12;

Mixed doubles: 6-Guo Xin Wa/Chen Fang Hui (CHN) bt 15-Dhruv Kapila/Tanisha Crasto (IND) 21-16, 21-5; 11-Yang Po-Husan/Hu Ling Fang (TPE) bt 3-Mathias Christiansen/Alexandra Boje (DEN) 21-13, 9-21, 21-14

Source: IANS

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New Delhi, Aug 20 (SocialNews.XYZ) Treesa Jolly/Gayatri Gopichand upset seventh seeds Rin Iwanaga/Kie Nakanishi of Japan to become the first Indian women's doubles pair to reach the BWF World Championships quarterfinals in 11 years, while two-time bronze medallist Satwiksairaj Rankireddy/Chirag Shetty eked out a thrilling win even as PV Sindhu and Ayush Shetty crashed out at the Indira Gandhi Stadium on Thursday.

World No. 39 Treesa/Gayatri were clearly the better of the two pairs in action as they registered a 21-16, 21-12 win to set up a last-eight clash against fourth seeds Jia Yi Fan/Zhang Shi Xian of China.

Later, Satwik/Chirag held their nerves after losing a close opening game to beat Junaidi Arif/Yap Roy King of Malaysia 21-23, 21-19, 21-17 to reach the last eight, where they will face Chinese third seeds Liang Wei Keng and Wang Chang.

However, Sindhu's hopes of a sixth World Championships medal were shattered after she went down 21-11, 15-21, 21-17 against third seed Wang Zhi Yi of China, and giant-killer Ayush Shetty's campaign ended with a 21-19, 21-11 loss against Alwi Farhan of Indonesia.

On either side of the singles losses, the two doubles combinations kept hopes of India continuing its medal streak that started in 2011 alive with contrasting victories.

Treesa and Gayatri, who had broken into the world top-10 before injuries pegged them back, took the initiative from the start against their Japanese opponents and mixed things up with Treesa willing to charge to the net and create openings despite being a predominantly back-court player.

The home favourites opened up a 13-9 lead in the opening game before Iwanaga and Nakanishi began engaging them in longer rallies and inducing errors. The Japanese won seven consecutive points, and it looked like they could run away with the opening game. But Treesa and Gayatri not only regrouped well but also won the next eight points to pocket the opening game.

The second game was a much simpler affair as the Indians were clearly on a high after winning the opening game and kept their opponents guessing with quick drops and crosscourt smashes to win in 44 minutes.

No Indian women's doubles combination had reached the world championships quarters since Jwala Gutta and Ashwini Ponnappa reached the last eight stage back in the 2015 edition in Jakarta. "Initially, it was neck and neck, and our coaches asked us to attack. Attacking game is our strength, and we were very calm when we were leading," said Gayatri.

In the last match of the day, Satwik and Chirag saved two game points in the opening game against the Malaysians but still conceded the game. But the Indians held their nerves in the second game and fought back from 16-18 down to take the match in the decider.

The final game also followed a similar pattern as Satwik and Chirag trailed 12-15, before levelling the scores at 17-17 and then grabbing the next four points to seal a quarterfinal berth.

Earlier, former world champion Sindhu played her heart out against third seed Wang of China but could not end on the right side of the final scoreline after a bruising 88-minute encounter that saw the Chinese player down on the court due to cramps twice in the decider. The loss also ended her unbeaten record against the Chinese in the world championships.

Sindhu struggled to find her rhythm in the opening game but raised her game in the second, winning six straight points from 15-15 to force the decider.

In the decider, Sindhu was the first to get off the blocks as she opened up an 8-4 lead before a couple of errors allowed Wang to draw level at 9-9. Sindhu once again grabbed the initiative to take a 13-10 lead but looked tired as her tentative pushes went into the net and her opponent finally took the lead by clinching five straight points.

Both players were engaged in at least three over-30-shot rallies thereafter, including the 54-shot exchange at 17-18, leaving both of them completely exhausted. Wang, the younger of the two, finally closed things with a crosscourt smash.

"I should have stayed patient (in the third game). It was going well, and I am disappointed with the final result as I should have converted the advantage," Sindhu said after the match.

Important results:

Men's singles: 7-Victor Lai (CAN) bt 13-Loh Kean Yew (SGP) 22-20, 21-18; Rasmus Gemke (DEN) bt 3-Jonatan Christie (INA) 11-21, 21-13, 21-18; 11-Alwi Farhan (INA) bt Ayush Shetty (IND) 21-19, 21-11; 10-Kodai Naraoka (JPN) bt 8-Li Shi Feng (CHN) 13-21, 23-21, 21-11

Women's singles: 1-An Se Young (KOR) bt 16-Mia Blichfeldt (DEN) 21-16, 21-10; 10-Pornpawee Chochuwong (THA) bt 4-Chen Yufei (CHN) 15-21, 25-23, 21-17; 13-Michelle Li (CAN) bt 8-Tomoka Miyazaki (JPN) 17-21, 21-16, 21-18; 2-Akane Yamaguchi (JPN) bt 14-Sim You Jin (KOR) 21-17, 21-10; 15-Line Chirstophersen (DEN) bt 6-Putri Wardani (INA) 21-18, 21-17; 3-Wang Zhi Yi (CHN) bt 9-PV Sindhu (IND) 21-11, 15-21, 21-17

Men's doubles: 5-Chirag Shetty/Satwiksairaj Rankireddy (IND) bt Junaidi Arif/Yap Roy King (MAS) 21-23, 21-19, 21-17; 3-Liang Wei Keng/Wang Chang (CHN) bt Kim Astrup/Anders Rasmussen (DEN) 22-20, 8-21, 21-19

Women's doubles: Gayatri Gopichand/Treesa Jolly (IND) bt 7-Rin Iwanaga/Kie Nakanishi (JPN) 21-16, 21-12; 4-Jia Yi Fan/Zhang Shu Xian bt Hsieh Pei Shan/Hung En-Tzu (TPE) 21-11, 21-18; 13-Febriana Kusuma/Meilysa Puspitasari (INA) bt 5-Pearly Tan/Thinaah Muralitharan (MAS) 20-22, 21-18, 21-12;

Mixed doubles: 6-Guo Xin Wa/Chen Fang Hui (CHN) bt 15-Dhruv Kapila/Tanisha Crasto (IND) 21-16, 21-5; 11-Yang Po-Husan/Hu Ling Fang (TPE) bt 3-Mathias Christiansen/Alexandra Boje (DEN) 21-13, 9-21, 21-14

Source: IANS

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New Delhi, Aug 20 (SocialNews.XYZ) Indonesia's Alwi Farhan defeated India star Ayush Shetty in the round of 16 at the BWF World Championships here by 21-19, 21-11 in 45 minutes to extend his lead over his old friend and rival to 5-3. Farhan got the better of Shetty despite the Indian having tested him in the first game. But the Indonesian dominated him completely in the second one to enter the quarterfinals.

Speaking to the media after the win, Farhan detailed the pressure of playing in home conditions. On being asked whether Shetty's loss was due to the pressure and expectations from the home fans, Farhan told reporters, "Yeah, of course."

He had to battle it out against a rampant Indian crowd and an impressive Shetty, who had defeated World No.1 Shi Yuqi in the first round. "First of all, I want to thank God because today it was not an easy game against all the Indians (fans). But I took that because I know when you play on home soil, that makes you feel more pressure, so that's why I mean I won it because I've been feeling that when I'm playing Indonesia, so I mean that's the main point and today's lesson," Farhan added.

The first game was a proper battle as there was not much to separate the two players, but the Indonesian, the junior world champion of 2023, blew the Indian shuttler apart in the second game. However, while he was leading at 11-6 in the second game, he was seen having a self-talk on the court. He said that he looked to stay patient and not to get carried away by the lead. "Yeah, I'm just gonna be patient. I just don't want to think that the game was over because I've been leading by like five points, but I'm just gonna be patient. That's the only thing that matters (at such a time)," he said.

Farhan has been one of the fastest rising stars in the badminton circuit, having captured a gold at the 2025 SEA Games and the Indonesia Masters title in 2026. He also beat Shetty in the semifinal of the 2023 Junior Worlds en route to his gold medal and shares a strong relationship with him. "I've been meeting Ayush since we were juniors. I've been meeting him since 2021, so I mean we know each other a lot; we have a really good relationship, but yeah, when you enter the court, there is no friend. We give it all to our country," he said.

Source: IANS

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New Delhi, Aug 20 (SocialNews.XYZ) P.V. Sindhu’s pursuit of a record sixth World Championships medal came to a painful halt on Thursday as China’s Wang Zhi Yi prevailed 21-11, 15-21, 21-17 in a gripping Round-of-16 contest at the Indira Gandhi Indoor Stadium in New Delhi.

The defeat also ended a remarkable streak for two-time Olympic medallist Sindhu at the global event. The Indian shuttler had beaten Chinese opponents on eight previous occasions at the World Championships, but Wang became the first to overcome her on this stage.

The opening game offered little indication of the drama to come. Both players were intent on avoiding cheap mistakes, forcing each other into long, patient exchanges. Wang found success by making Sindhu work around the front court, while the Indian repeatedly denied her opponent clean opportunities to unleash her attack.

Wang entered the interval 11-8 ahead. The contest then tilted sharply in her favour as Sindhu began to leak points through unforced errors and a misjudgement. Wang needed little invitation, using her accurate drops and attacking strokes to close out the game 21-11.

With the home crowd desperate for a response, Sindhu changed her approach in the second game. She began with greater patience and immediately established a four-point cushion as Wang struggled to maintain the same consistency. The Chinese shuttler tried to drag Sindhu into longer rallies, but the Indian countered with delicate dribbles and drops.

Even after Wang levelled the game at 15-15, Sindhu found another gear. She reeled off six points in succession, mixing winners with the pressure created by Wang’s errors, to force a decider.

Sindhu appeared in control again at the start of the third, moving 3-0 ahead and later opening up an 8-4 lead. Wang, however, refused to let the match slip. A run of three errors from Sindhu helped the Chinese player move ahead, although the Indian still held an 11-10 advantage at the interval.

The final stretch produced the contest’s most dramatic moment. At 16-16, Wang took a heavy fall and required a medical timeout. When play resumed, Sindhu was unable to regain her composure, committing four consecutive errors to hand Wang match point.

The Chinese player needed only one chance, producing a precise drop to seal the victory and bring Sindhu’s campaign to an abrupt end, and she managed to do that as the World No. 3 progressed to the quarterfinals.

Sindhu, meanwhile, shifts focus to the Asian Games.

Source: IANS

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New Delhi, Aug 20 (SocialNews.XYZ) Ayush Shetty's impressive campaign in the BWF World Championships ended in a pre-quarterfinal defeat to old foe Alwi Farhan as the Indian shuttler lost the round of 16 match 21–19, 21–11 on Thursday.

Shetty, who had stunned World No.1 and reigning champion Shi Yuqi in his first-round encounter, could not get over the Indonesian shuttler despite having had his moments in the 45-minute rubber here.

Shetty spoke on the defeat, attributing it to him not being "sharp" in the match and that his opponent was a "better player today". "I think I had my chance in the first game. I came back well. But yeah, again, I couldn't convert it," Shetty told reporters at the Indira Gandhi Indoor Stadium. While he was well and truly in the match in the first game, Shetty didn't have much joy in the second one.

"And in the second game, I think he was playing with more confidence. He had his shots really sharp. And also, I think when I had my chances, I was not getting the lines. That made the difference. But overall, I think he was a better player today. He played with much more patience, and he was controlling the match really well," Shetty, who was runner-up in the Asia Championships 2026, said.

Farhan also used the body line tactic against the 21-year-old Indian, constantly outfoxing him and giving him not much space and time to work through. On being asked whether he was not prepared for such an attack, Shetty said, "No, I don't think that. We were prepared", before adding, "But it's just that the momentum of the game. I think definitely in the second game, he was just playing with more confidence. I was a bit, you know, not really sharp today. I think, yeah, I think he definitely was putting more pressure near the net."

Farhan now holds a 5-3 head-to-head record against Shetty, including a win in the Junior World Championships in 2023, when he defeated the rising Indian shuttler in the semifinal. The Indonesian won the gold, while Shetty settled with a silver. Speaking on his rivalry with Farhan, the Indian shuttler said, "I think definitely he's a really tough opponent to play against. He's really quick. As I said, he was putting a lot of pressure from the net, not allowing me to, you know, play the net really well. I think I made some unforced errors also. Yeah, he was really sharp. He is really sharp and is always. He has a lot of variation from the back and maybe one of the best variations right now in men's singles. Yeah, I think that's what makes him really good," he added.

There were two crucial tournaments in sight for the young Indian. Apart from the BWF Worlds, which New Delhi hosted 17 years after the Indian city of Hyderabad played host to it. Shetty now shifts his focus to the upcoming Asian Games, which will be played in Aichi-Nagoya from September 19 onwards.

"We were preparing for both (Worlds and Asiad). I think we are prepared. A bit of, you know, tactical changes to be done; a lot to learn from this match, definitely. Yeah, I think just forget about this match for now, you know, and focus on the Asian Games," he concluded.

Source: IANS

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New Delhi, Aug 20 (SocialNews.XYZ) Ayush Shetty’s impressive run at the BWF World Championships came to an end in the men’s singles Round of 16 on Thursday, with Indonesia’s Alwi Farhan holding his nerve to beat the Indian 21-19, 21-11 at the Indira Gandhi Indoor Stadium in New Delhi.

The contest was far closer than the final score suggested in the opening game. Neither player was able to build sustained separation in the early exchanges, with Farhan taking a narrow 11-9 advantage into the interval.

The Indonesian gradually began to create breathing room after the restart, moving four points clear at 18-14. Just when Farhan appeared to be closing in on the game, Ayush produced his best spell of the contest.

The Indian strung together five consecutive points to turn the game around and move ahead 19-18. Farhan had appeals turned down during that phase, but the interruptions did not derail his composure. The Indonesian recovered the lead and secured the opening game 21-19 after a tense finish.

For Ayush, the second game offered little respite. Farhan immediately put pressure on the Indian, establishing a 3-1 lead and keeping the rallies at a pace that made it difficult for Ayush to regain control.

The net exchanges became a particular source of trouble for the Indian, with Farhan repeatedly targeting that area of the court. The Indonesian’s ability to win those shorter exchanges helped him maintain the initiative as the game progressed.

Farhan reached the interval with a commanding 11-6 advantage and continued to widen the gap afterwards. Ayush was unable to reproduce the comeback that had briefly put him in front in the first game, as Farhan dominated the latter stages to complete a 21-11 second-game win.

The defeat brings an end to a breakthrough World Championships campaign for Ayush, who had already announced himself on the biggest stage with a stunning opening-round victory over world No. 1 and defending champion Shi Yu Qi.

He followed that up by dispatching Sri Lanka’s Dumindu Abeywickrama 21-8, 21-10 to reach the Round of 16.

The loss to Farhan means Ayush’s impressive New Delhi campaign stops one round short of the quarter-finals, but his victory over the reigning champion remains one of the standout results of India’s tournament so far.

Source: IANS

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New Delhi, Aug 20 (SocialNews.XYZ) Tanisha Crasto and Dhruv Kapila’s BWF World Championships campaign ended in disappointment on Thursday as the Indian mixed doubles pair bowed out in the pre-quarterfinals at the Indira Gandhi Indoor Stadium in New Delhi, with Kapila taking responsibility for a second-game collapse that allowed their opponents to pull away.

The Indians had remained competitive for much of the opening game, but a succession of inexpensive errors changed the complexion of the contest. Once they fell behind, the deficit grew too large to erase, leaving the pair to reflect on a performance they felt had fallen short of their own standards on home soil.

Crasto admitted the result was particularly difficult to accept given the occasion and the way the contest had begun.

“We are equally disappointed that we couldn't put up the best show, especially here on home ground. It was a good fight in the first set, but somehow we didn't have any control in the second, and they took advantage of that and played really well.

But we take full responsibility for the fact that we didn't play up to the mark today, and we hope that we could have done a better performance today,” Crasto said.

The turning point, according to Crasto, was not one isolated exchange but a succession of errors that steadily handed momentum to their opponents.

“Like I mentioned earlier, we started giving really easy points from our hand, very simple errors, and that kept building up. We couldn't break the rhythm, and it kept building up, and eventually the lead went off quite big. We did try to cover up, but we weren't able to do that,” she added.

Kapila was even more direct in assessing his own contribution to the downturn. He felt the tactical instructions from the coaching staff could only go so far once unforced errors began to accumulate.

“The plan was pretty simple, but in the second game, I think it's my mistake. I should have done better there, but eventually I started making a lot of errors, which took us a lot of time; they took a lead, and then we were under pressure. Especially me, because it was me who was just, you know, making very easy mistakes, and then there's no plan if you keep making easy mistakes, and even the coach, whatever he says, it won't work. So yeah, I should have done a bit better,” Kapila said.

The defeat brings their World Championships campaign to a close, but Kapila already has the next opportunity in sight. Rather than dwell on the loss, he said the immediate task would be to identify what went wrong and address it before returning to competition.

“Of course, I have to work on it. Whatever happened on the court today, I have to learn from it, and the next tournament is the China Open,” he concluded.

Source: IANS

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New Delhi, Aug 20 (SocialNews.XYZ) India’s Dhruv Kapila and Tanisha Crasto’s run at the BWF World Championships came to an end in the Round of 16 on Thursday, with the 15th-seeded mixed doubles pair going down to China’s Chen Fang and Guo Xinwa at the Indira Gandhi Indoor Stadium in New Delhi.

Dhruv and Tanisha, who had entered the pre-quarterfinals after a comfortable opening-round victory, could not reproduce that performance against the Chinese combination. Chen and Guo controlled the contest to secure a straight-game 21-11, 21-11 win, bringing the Indian pair’s campaign to an end.

The defeat came a day after the duo had made an encouraging start to their World Championships campaign. After receiving a first-round bye, the Indians faced Macau’s Leong Iok Chong and Ng Weng Chi and made short work of the contest to book their place in the last 16.

That victory had also made Dhruv and Tanisha India’s final representatives in the mixed doubles draw. Their exit means the country has no pair left in the discipline.

Rohan Kapoor and Ruthvika Shivani Gadde had earlier suffered a narrow defeat against Canada’s Jonathan Bing Tsan Lai and Crystal Lai. The Indian pair won the opening game 22-20 but could not maintain their advantage, eventually losing 19-21, 17-21 in a closely fought contest.

Ashith Surya and Amrutha Pramuthesh also bowed out after being pushed to the limit by Turkey’s Emre Sonmez and Yasemen Bektas. The Turkish pair prevailed 21-16, 29-30, 24-22 in a match that featured two games decided well beyond the usual finishing score.

Dhruv and Tanisha had therefore carried India’s last hopes in mixed doubles into the Round of 16, but their defeat against Chen and Guo brought the country’s campaign in the discipline to a close.

Source: IANS

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New Delhi, Aug 20 (SocialNews.XYZ) Badminton World Federation (BWF) secretary Thomas Lund brushed aside the plans to introduce a prize money system for the BWF World Championships, stating that the focus instead lies on "broadcast, broader aspects and helping players generate investment on their own".

While the BWF offers cash prizes to players in the BWF World Tour, across the tier levels from Super 100 to the World Tour Finals, cash incentives in the BWF World Championship remain absent. The players, instead, earn ranking points based on their finish in the annual prestigious tournament, which is being held in New Delhi this time around.

Speaking on the pressing issue, secretary Lund emphasised that the focus lies on the broadcasting and the prize money takes a backseat for now.

"We've just been discussing all the things we're doing. We have been revamping a little bit and have new concepts coming in," Lund told reporters on the sidelines of the BWF Worlds here.

The secretary stated that they are working on technology and broadcast for the tournaments, admitting that the world body does not want to stay behind other sports in the race for technology.

"We have slightly longer tournaments to preserve health, safeguarding athletes for Super 1000, major championships. There's technology that will cost us a little bit to implement as well. Right now, that's not on the charts (prize money) because we are obviously focusing on the fact that there's a long-term plan here. We don't want to be left behind all the other sports with technology because we want to focus on one tournament, prize money and so on. "

Lund detailed that the focus is on broadcast, helping fans to watch matches of the players from their country and giving them more games to tune in to. "A lot of what we have been focused on is the broadcast. That is one of the biggest focuses in our commercial setup. (We have to) Broadcast more matches, showing all matches for the Super 1000s with more players. So, you'll get more Indian matches on TV, you'll get more matches of German, Malaysian players on TV…" he added.

He further highlighted that this can enable players to get more camera time, which will ultimately help them build their own brand value and make a more sustainable life through the sport. "Right now, that has been our focus. More players will get more exposure; they have their own advertising. So we have a slightly different way of thinking in terms of how helping players. We would like to make something that's more sustainable by giving players sustainable livelihoods by actually supporting their own revenue generation as well.

"At the same time as also establishing the framework for them to actually become successful on court with their sport but also commercially with whatever they need to do to live, a happy life in badminton, and some of them actually do live pretty well."

Lund further widened the ambit to include the national federations, sponsors and other stakeholders to gain from the framework. "I think we can show growth and that's our objective, we'll push for more, but we don't necessarily think the solution is just here's a hundred dollars (for prize money), we'd rather create investment into frameworks that can help them generate, including our member federations and they play team tournaments of course they come as a team, they come with team sponsors and so on. So we want to have all stakeholders," he said.

The secretary also highlighted that they have prize money in BWF tours and the cash incentive is not completely out of their mind for the Worlds, but the focus lies on "broader things" currently.

"Some players need to pay for the practice. All of this is an ecosystem philosophy where prize money is not always the right solution to actually support players. We don't think that's the right time. By the way, we have pushed up prize money considerably on the tour (BWF tours), so instead of having one tournament three out of four years having prize money, we have actually pushed up World Tour prize money every week. It's not like we're not thinking about it, but focussing on this one tournament every year of three out of four years, I think, is maybe a little bit narrow-minded," he said.

Source: IANS

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New Delhi, Aug 20 (SocialNews.XYZ) Badminton World Federation (BWF) secretary general Thomas Lund has praised the facilities and conditions at the Indira Gandhi Sports Complex for the ongoing badminton World Championships, expressing satisfaction over the venue's rapid transformation following earlier controversies.

Six months ago, during the BWF India Open Super 750, India's premier badminton event, the venue was at the centre of controversies over the state of the playing and practice arenas and the pollution in New Delhi.

One top-ranked player has stayed away from the tournament, citing these issues, and several others who participated have publicly criticised the cleanliness. Morever, a monkey was seen in the stands at the main arena while a men's singles match between India's HS Prannoy and Singapore's Loh Kean Yew was halted twice after bird droppings fell onto court.

As the BWF World Championships returned to Indian shores after a gap of 17 years, the organisers left no stone unturned to avoid further controversies. They have put anti-bird measures in place and even roped in monkey whisperers to host the world-class event successfully.

"We've had a team here for quite a long time working hand in hand with the local organisation, with Badminton India, with all the stakeholders around it. I'm super impressed to see what has been established at this venue. I know there's been some criticism earlier in the year, but the amount of things that have been done in that really short time in terms of upgrading, some of it was more significant – but I think I'm really impressed," Lund told reporters.

"I thank Badminton India and all the stakeholders; the government and everybody have actually been behind this with the venue, with the operational detail that they've been able to get right for this tournament," he said.

The BWF official noted that feedback from participating athletes, including those who had previously raised alarms, has been overwhelmingly positive.

"I've only heard really positive feedback from players and everybody that actually were here earlier in the year and had different concerns and so on, and obviously, well done to our organisation here.

With the tournament entering its critical stages, the BWF secretary general urged fans and media to direct their focus back to the action on the court, praising the high quality and unpredictable nature of the matches played so far.

"We are very satisfied with where we are today and I'll just hope from here on and on to the finals the focus will be on what happens on that court down there because we've had fantastic matches. I've talked to some of our commentators.

"I haven't been able to see all the matches, but some of the matches and even matches that you predicted were kind of not close matches; one side has come out as being super interesting matches, and there are some nice surprises and so I think let's focus on that because I think the other terms, the other things around the framework we're working in here, the Indian organisation have done really, really well," he said.

Source: IANS

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New Delhi, Aug 20 (SocialNews.XYZ) Treesa Jolly and Gayatri Gopichand are refusing to let the prospect of a World Championships medal alter their approach after the Indian women’s doubles pair reached the quarter-finals on Thursday, with the duo crediting the home crowd for helping them overcome seventh seeds Rin Iwanaga and Kie Nakanishi of Japan at the Indira Gandhi Indoor Stadium.

The 21-16, 21-12 victory moved the 39th-ranked Indians to within one win of a guaranteed medal. But for Gayatri, the pressure of playing a seeded opponent in front of a packed home crowd is one she would rather embrace than avoid.

“I think getting on court, definitely there's a little pressure, but it's the kind of pressure you enjoy because you're playing in Delhi. So I think yeah, even in the first set we were down 13-16, but then we got some tips from our coaches, and I think after that we've implemented it pretty well, so yeah, I think I'm super happy. Even in the second game there were a few, it was pretty tricky, neck-to-neck, but then yeah, I'm glad we could stay calm and pull the game off,” Gayatri told reporters after the win.

The support from the stands became particularly important when the Indians found themselves under pressure. Gayatri felt the crowd's energy helped them stay in the contest and eventually take control.

“At one point we were under pressure; the crowd was carrying us, so I just want to thank them, and I just want them to keep believing in us, and I hope to give them more reasons to celebrate,” Gayatri added.

Treesa echoed her partner’s sentiment, saying the atmosphere inside the stadium gave the pair an additional lift even when the scoreboard was against them.

“The crowd is so amazing; I think even when we are in the first game, when we are down also, the crowd really carried us, and I think when it's happening at home, we just need to show our powerful matches and everything that they can see,” Treesa said.

The Indians’ next challenge is expected to be another stern examination. They know the quarter-final stage leaves little room for lapses, but Treesa wants the pair to concentrate on the contest rather than its significance.

“I think it's not going to be easy. I think they are playing at the top level and every point matters to us, I think we just need to believe in ourselves be calm and just be present in that moment,” Treesa added.

Gayatri, meanwhile, has no intention of looking beyond recovery before turning their attention to tactics.

“Not yet, but I think we should just go back, eat, stretch, get a good night's sleep, and then we'll work on our tactics and see what happens tomorrow,” she said.

The Indians have also found a formula that is producing results: constant rotation combined with sustained attacking pressure.

"It's working really great, that rotation and that attacking; we just need to keep on doing that," she added.

Their partnership was particularly effective when Treesa was given the opportunity to unleash her powerful smash. The pair said the shots leading into those finishing blows have been just as important.

"I think yeah, that's very important that in that crucial situation where Gayatri just charged and just gave me chances, and that made us get that continuous 3-4 points consistently," Treesa stated.

Gayatri added, "I just want to set up for her because she has a huge smash, so I know if she's going to kill, it's going to be it."

The possibility of a medal is now impossible to ignore, but Gayatri insists they will not allow it to dominate their thinking.

"Obviously it will be in our mind, but we just need to be present at this moment, like we need to enjoy this victory and just take good recovery and just prepare for the next match," Gayatri mentioned.

For a pair returning from a three-month injury layoff and rebuilding their rhythm only recently, the run has already provided a significant lift.

"It's definitely a huge boost of confidence because they've also fought really well; it wasn't easy to beat any of the pairs we've played and we're just looking forward to the next match," she said.

And with New Delhi providing the stage, Treesa is determined that the pair enjoy every part of the experience.

"I think yeah, it's so great that playing here in the home soil and the crowd support and everyone is seeing us, how we are playing and we just want to really focus and we just need to enjoy this moment," Treesa said.

Source: IANS

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New Delhi, Aug 20 (SocialNews.XYZ) Treesa Jolly and Gayatri Gopichand continued their stunning run at the BWF World Championships on Thursday, knocking out seventh seeds Rin Iwanaga and Kie Nakanishi of Japan 21-16, 21-12 to reach the women’s doubles quarter-finals at the Indira Gandhi Indoor Stadium in New Delhi.

Ranked 39th in the world, the Indian pair produced another performance that belied their seeding and ranking, taking apart one of the tournament’s higher-ranked combinations in straight games. A place in the semi-finals would now guarantee Treesa and Gayatri a medal at the World Championships.

The result was built around Treesa’s aggression. The Indian repeatedly found ways to turn her power from the rear court into attacking opportunities, while also showing enough variation at the net to prevent the Japanese pair from settling into predictable exchanges.

Gayatri, who was comparatively quieter in the attacking phases, played her part in keeping the Indian structure intact as Treesa took on much of the offensive responsibility. Their court coverage and rotations repeatedly forced Iwanaga and Nakanishi into uncomfortable positions.

The contest, however, was not without its flashpoints.

Treesa and Gayatri became visibly frustrated with some of the proceedings, as their concerns about the Japanese pair’s conduct did not elicit the response they wanted.

Treesa was subsequently shown a yellow card after being warned by the chair umpire for her treatment of the shuttle.

The incident briefly threatened to overshadow the badminton, but Treesa channelled her frustration into her performance. She continued to bring intensity to every attacking exchange, punctuating her successful smashes with loud celebrations as the home crowd responded in kind.

The atmosphere inside the stadium grew increasingly hostile for the Japanese pair, with the Indian supporters turning the contest into an unmistakably home affair. At one point, Treesa continued her argument with the match referee before coach Pullela Gopichand urged her from outside the court to return to her corner.

For Treesa and Gayatri, the quarter-final berth is another significant marker in their comeback. An injury to Treesa had sidelined the pair for around three months, forcing them to rebuild their rhythm upon returning to competition.

They chose the Philippines International in August as part of that process and won the lower-tier tournament, gradually rebuilding the confidence that had taken them into the world’s top 10 last year.

There are now no visible signs of rust. Their movement, rotations and Treesa’s ability to operate effectively at both ends of the court have made them a difficult proposition in New Delhi.

One more victory will take them into the semi-finals, and guarantee India another medal at the World Championships.

Source: IANS

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