By Teenage shuttler Anmol Kharb once again proved her mettle as she led the Indian women’s team to a historic victory at the Badminton Asia Team Championships. In a hard-fought final against Thailand in Shah Alam, Malaysia, India emerged victorious with a 3-2 scoreline.
With the match tied at 2-2, the pressure was on Anmol to deliver in the deciding rubber. The 17-year-old from Faridabad showed remarkable composure and skill, defeating her opponent Pornpicha Choeikeewong, ranked 45th in the world, with a scoreline of 21-14, 21-9. This victory marked Anmol’s third consecutive win in the deciding rubber, having achieved similar feats against China and Japan earlier in the tournament.
The Indian team got off to a strong start, with PV Sindhu securing a comfortable victory in straight games against Supanida Katethong. Treesa Jolly and Gayatri Gopichand then clinched a crucial win against the world No. 10 pair of Jongkolphan Kititharakul and Rawinda Prajongjai. Despite a setback in the fourth match, where Thailand’s Busanan Ongbamrungphan defeated Ashmita Chaliha, the Indian team’s determination and grit shone through as they secured the historic victory. The win was particularly significant as Thailand had fielded their only top-10 pair in the tournament against India.
