By Indian women’s badminton team continued their remarkable run by advancing to their first-ever final at the Badminton Asia Team Championships. In a thrilling semifinal match against two-time former champions Japan, India secured a 3-2 victory. Treesa Jolly and Gayatri Gopichand, Ashmita Chaliha, and the 17-year-old Anmol Kharb delivered crucial wins in the first doubles and second and deciding singles, propelling India to the summit clash against Thailand scheduled for Sunday.
Despite missing key players like world No. 4 Akane Yamaguchi and world No. 7 pair Yuki Fukushima and Sayaka Hirota, Japan proved to be a formidable opponent, making the contest challenging for India. In the first singles match, Sindhu, returning from injury, faced a tough challenge from Aya Ohori and was defeated 13-21, 20-22, putting India on the back foot.
However, Treesa and Gayatri’s exceptional performance in the first doubles, where they defeated world No. 6 Nami Matsuyama and Chiharu Shida 21-17, 16-21, 22-20 in a 73-minute battle, leveled the score at 1-1. Ashmita then stunned former world champion Nozomi Okuhara with a brilliant display, winning 21-17, 21-14, to give India a 2-1 lead.
Despite a loss in the second doubles, where Sindhu and Ashwini Ponnappa were defeated by Rena Miyaura and Ayako Sakuramoto, Anmol sealed the victory for India by defeating Natsuki Nidaira 21-14, 21-18. India’s historic final appearance keeps their hopes alive for a maiden gold in the continental championship, following their bronze medals in the 2016 and 2020 editions of the men’s team event.
