Badminton

Rising Indian badminton star Malvika Bansod's remarkable run at the Hylo Open Super 300 tournament culminated in a valiant runner-up finish, as she narrowly missed out on the title against Denmark's Mia Blichfeldt. The 23-year-old southpaw, who had impressed throughout the tournament with notable victories, ultimately fell short in the final, losing 10-21, 15-21 to the experienced Dane.Bansod's journey to the final was marked by a series of impressive performances. She overcame the challenge of fourth seed Nguyen Thuy Linh of Vietnam in the quarterfinals, showcasing her determination and skill. However, in the final, she faced a formidable opponent in Blichfeldt, who proved too strong on the day.The opening game saw Blichfeldt capitalize on Bansod's errors, establishing a commanding lead of 17-10. The Danish shuttler's precise shots and aggressive play proved too much for Bansod, who struggled to find her rhythm. Blichfeldt ultimately closed out the game with ease, leaving Bansod with a mountain to climb.Undeterred, Bansod fought back in the second game, even taking an early lead of 11-8. However, Blichfeldt's powerful cross-court smashes proved too difficult to handle. The Dane equalized at 12-all and then captured five consecutive points to secure the title.Despite the defeat, Bansod's performance at the Hylo Open Super 300 is a testament to her growing talent and potential. This was her second appearance in a major final, having previously reached the title round of the Syed Modi India International in 2022.In September, Bansod made headlines by upsetting Paris Olympics bronze medallist Gregoria Mariska Tunjung in the opening round of the China Open Super 100. Her quarterfinal exit in that tournament was a minor setback, but it only served to fuel her determination to improve.Bansod's impressive run at the Hylo Open Super 300 has undoubtedly raised her profile in the badminton world. She is now ranked 50th in the world and is poised to make further strides in the coming months. With her talent, determination, and unwavering spirit, Bansod is a rising star to watch in the world of badminton.

India's Lakshya Sen's Denmark Open campaign came to an abrupt end on Tuesday as he succumbed to a three-game defeat against China's Lu Guang Zu in the opening round. The 2021 World Championship bronze medalist squandered an early advantage, losing 21-12 19-21 14-21 in a grueling 70-minute encounter.Sen, who finished fourth at the Paris Olympics, had previously suffered a second-round exit at the Arctic Open in Finland last week. His loss in Odense marks another setback in his post-Olympic campaign.Meanwhile, double Olympic medalist PV Sindhu advanced to the second round after her opponent, Pai Yu Po of Chinese Taipei, retired midway through the second game with the score reading 21-8 13-7 in favor of the Indian.However, Malvika Bansod, who reached the quarterfinals at the China Open, failed to overcome the opening hurdle, losing 13-21 12-21 to Vietnam's Nguyen Thuy Linh in women's singles. Aakarshi Kashyap also faced an early exit, falling 13-21 12-21 to seventh-seeded Thai shuttler Supanida Katethong.In women's doubles, the Panda sisters, Rutaparna and Swetaparna, also made a first-round exit, losing 18-21 22-24 against Chinese Taipei's Chang Ching Hui and Yang Ching Tun.Sen, who was competing in his second event since the Olympics, started strongly against Lu, keeping pace with his Chinese rival before pulling ahead at 8-8 and taking an 11-9 advantage at the break. The Indian extended his lead to 20-11 with a seven-point burst, comfortably pocketing the opening game.However, Lu rallied in the second game, narrowing the gap to 11-12 and eventually taking a 19-18 lead. Sen drew parity, but Lu secured the required two points to script a comeback.In the decider, Lu maintained his composure and pulled ahead to 14-9, while Sen struggled to keep pace. Lu seized six match points and sealed the victory when Sen went long.

India's rising badminton star Lakshya Sen has advanced to the men's singles round of 16 at the Arctic Open Super 500 tournament in Finland. Sen's opponent, Rasmus Gemke, withdrew from their opening round match on Wednesday, giving Sen a walkover.Sen, who narrowly missed out on an Olympic medal in Tokyo, will face the winner of the match between seventh seed Chou Tien Chen of Chinese Taipei and qualifier Arnaud Merkle of France in the next round. Qualifier Kiran George is the only other Indian in action on Wednesday, taking on Tzu Wei Wang of Chinese Taipei later in the day.On Tuesday, Malvika Bansod continued her impressive form this year by upsetting world No. 23 Sung Shuo Yun of Chinese Taipei in the women's singles. Bansod, who won her first title in over two years in February, showed her resilience in a hard-fought match, winning 21-19, 24-22. However, she faces a tough challenge in the next round against former world champion Ratchanok Intanon of Thailand.Another promising Indian shuttler, Unnati Hooda, defeated Brazil's Juliana Viana Viera to set up an encounter against Michelle Li of Canada. Rising star Aakarshi Kashyap also progressed to the round of 16 on Tuesday night, beating Germany's Yvonne Li. She will next face second seed Yue Han of China.India's badminton contingent is looking to make a strong showing at the Arctic Open Super 500 tournament. With Sen, Bansod, Hooda, and Kashyap all advancing to the later rounds, India has a chance to secure multiple medals.

Double Olympic medalist PV Sindhu's Arctic Open Super 500 campaign came to an abrupt end in the round of 32, as she succumbed to a 16-21, 10-21 defeat against Canada's Michelle Li. However, rising Indian shuttler Malvika Bansod continued her impressive form, stunning world No. 23 Sung Shuo Yun 21-19, 24-22 to advance to the women's singles pre-quarterfinals.Bansod's victory is a testament to her growing prowess on the international stage. The 23-year-old southpaw, who clinched her first title in over two years at the Azerbaijan International in February, showed her resilience in a hard-fought match that lasted 57 minutes.In the next round, Bansod will face a formidable challenge in the form of either Ratchanok Intanon, the 2013 world champion from Thailand and tournament top seed, or Wang Zhi Yi, the 2022 world champion from China.Meanwhile, Aakarshi Kashyap also secured a place in the pre-quarterfinals with a 21-19, 21-14 victory over Germany's Yvonne Li in another women's singles contest.Sindhu's early exit marks her first tournament since the Paris Olympics. The 27-year-old Indian, who has won two Olympic medals (a silver in Rio 2016 and a bronze in Tokyo 2020), will be hoping to bounce back in her next outing.

Former World No. 1 Kidambi Srikanth is set to make his long-awaited return to badminton at the Macau Open, starting Tuesday. The 31-year-old Indian has been sidelined since suffering an injury during the Singapore Open in May.Srikanth, who is seeded sixth for the BWF Super 300 event, will be joined by a 23-member Indian contingent. The contingent includes promising shuttler Malvika Bansod, who recently reached the quarterfinals of the China Open. However, Bansod has withdrawn from the Macau Open.In Srikanth's absence, India's hopes in the men's singles competition will rest on the shoulders of Mithun Manjunath, Sameer Verma, and Ayush Shetty.In the women's singles, Anupama Upadhyaya, Tanya Hemanth, and Tasnim Mir will be the Indian representatives.India's best chance for a podium finish lies in the women's doubles competition, where Gayatri Gopichand and Treesa Jolly are seeded third. The duo reached the semifinals of the Singapore Open BWF Super 750 event earlier this year.Commonwealth Games medalists N Sikki Reddy and B Sumeeth Reddy will lead India's charge in the mixed doubles competition.Notably, two-time Olympic medalist PV Sindhu and Lakshya Sen will not be participating in the Macau Open.The tournament will conclude on Sunday, November 27.