Badminton

Indian women's doubles pair Treesa Jolly and Gayatri Gopichand continue to shine at the BWF World Tour Super 750 event in Malaysia, reaching their first-ever semifinal at this level. The duo, ranked 30th in the world, displayed resilience and determination to overcome the challenge of world no. 6 Korean pair Kim So Yeong and Kong Hee Yong in a thrilling quarterfinal encounter.After dropping the first game 18-21, Treesa and Gayatri fought back to win the second game 21-19. The third game was a nail-biter, with both pairs trading points and the lead changing hands several times. However, the Indians held their nerve to secure a 24-22 victory and book their place in the semifinals.Their victory is a testament to their hard work and dedication, as they have consistently performed well in recent tournaments. Earlier in the tournament, they defeated the world no. 2 Korean pair of Baek Na Ha and Lee So Hee in the Round of 16.Treesa and Gayatri are the only Indians remaining in the tournament, as ace shuttler PV Sindhu and HS Prannoy were eliminated in the women's singles and men's singles second round, respectively.The Indian pair will face the winner of the second quarterfinal between Nami Matsuyama-Chiharu Shifa of Japan and Apriyani Rahayu-Siti Fadia Silva Ramadhanti of Indonesia in the semifinals on Saturday.

India's women's badminton team made a resounding start to their Uber Cup campaign in Chengdu, China, on Saturday, securing a convincing 4-1 victory over Canada. The triumph was spearheaded by a stunning performance from Ashmita Chaliha, who upset world no. 25 Michelle Li in the opening singles match.Chaliha, ranked 53rd, displayed remarkable resilience and tactical acumen to outplay Li, a Commonwealth Games medalist. The 42-minute encounter saw Chaliha triumph 26-24 24-22, setting the tone for India's dominant display.The young women's doubles pair of Priya Konjengbam and Shruti Mishra continued the momentum, dispatching Catherine Choi and Jeslyn Chow 21-12 21-10 to extend India's lead to 2-0. Isharani Baruah then sealed an unassailable 3-0 advantage with a 21-13 21-12 victory over Wen Yu Zhang.Canada managed to salvage a point in the second women's doubles match, with Jackie Dent and Crystal overcoming Simran Singhi and Ritika Thaker 19-21 15-21. However, Anmol Kharb ensured India's comfortable win by defeating Eliana Zhang 21-15 21-11 in the fifth and final match.The victory marks a positive start for the young Indian team, which will face tougher challenges ahead. They will encounter Singapore on Sunday and China on Tuesday in Group A. Meanwhile, India's men's team will begin their Thomas Cup title defense against Thailand later on Saturday.