Badminton

India's Ashwini Ponnappa and Tanisha Crasto's Olympic hopes suffered a major setback as they succumbed to a second consecutive defeat in the women's doubles badminton competition at the Paris Olympics. The Indian duo fell 11-21, 12-21 to the world number four Japanese pair of Nami Matsuyama and Chiharu Shida in a 48-minute Group C encounter.Ponnappa and Crasto, ranked 19th in the world, had earlier lost their opening match against South Korea's Kim So Yeong and Kong Hee Yong. The two top-ranked pairs from each group qualify for the quarterfinals, leaving the Indians facing an uphill battle to advance."A bit disappointed because this was the only shot we had for a chance to get to the quarters," Ponnappa said after the match. "Not the way we wanted to play but they were very strong. I wish we had given them a better fight. We have one more match and hope we can win that."The Japanese duo dominated the match from the outset, taking control of the first game with a 4-0 lead. The Indians struggled to keep pace, with Crasto netting a long rally and Ponnappa's smash proving insufficient to challenge the Japanese.The second game followed a similar pattern, with the Japanese racing to a 7-1 lead. Crasto's finger injury further hampered the Indians' efforts, and the Japanese duo's quick court coverage and effective combination of power and placement proved too much for the Indian pair.Despite the setback, Ponnappa and Crasto remain determined to finish their Olympic campaign on a high note. "There's a lot to take away," Crasto said. "It builds my confidence as we are playing at such a high level and giving fight to each and every pair. It takes a lot of courage and confidence to play here in front of so many people. It's not over for us yet, hopefully we will be able to pull through."The Indians will face Australia's Setyana Mapasa and Angela Yu in their final group game, with a victory essential to keep their Olympic hopes alive.

Indian badminton stars Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty continued their impressive form at the Thailand Open, securing a spot in the semifinals of the men's doubles event. The world No. 3 duo cruised to a 21-7, 21-14 victory over Malaysians Junaidi Arif and Roy King Yap in the quarterfinals. They will now face Chinese Taipei's Lu Ming-Che and Tang Kai-Wei in the last four.In the women's doubles, Tanisha Crasto and Ashwini Ponnappa also advanced to the semifinals, but their path was more challenging. They battled for one hour and 16 minutes to overcome the sixth-seeded South Korean pair of Lee Yu Lim and Shen Seung Chan, winning 21-15, 21-23, 21-19. The Indians will face top seeds Thai shuttlers Jongkolphan Kititharakul and Rawinda Prajongjai in the semifinals.However, the tournament came to an end for young Indian shuttler Meiraba Luwang Maisnam. The promising player was defeated 12-21, 5-21 by fourth seed Kunlavut Vitidsarn of Thailand.The Indian duo of Satwik and Chirag have been in excellent form this season, winning the India Open and reaching the semifinals of the All England Open. They will be aiming to continue their winning streak and secure a podium finish in Bangkok. Crasto and Ponnappa, on the other hand, have shown great resilience and determination to reach the semifinals. They will be hoping to upset the top seeds and make it to the final.

Ashwini Ponnappa, a seasoned badminton player, faced skepticism after taking a break in 2022. Despite her continued training, many assumed she had retired. After a successful partnership with Jwala Gutta, Ashwini teamed up with N Sikki Reddy for six years, but they failed to secure a title.In December 2022, Ashwini and Tanisha Crasto, a rising star, decided to join forces. For Ashwini, it was a final chance at glory, while for Tanisha, it was an opportunity to learn from an experienced player.Their initial tournaments were disappointing, but they persevered. In June 2023, they won the Nantes International Challenge, marking a turning point. They reached four more finals, winning two and becoming India's No. 2 women's pair.Their success was fueled by Tanisha's explosiveness and Ashwini's power. They also upset top 10 pairs and overtook Treesa Jolly and P Gayatri Gopichand as India's No. 1.On Tuesday, they qualified for the Paris Olympics, Ashwini's third and Tanisha's first. Their journey has been marked by small wins that have culminated in a major achievement.Ashwini credits their success to their ability to adapt their game style during matches. They also acknowledge areas for improvement, such as becoming more systematic in their attack.Ashwini is enjoying this stage of her career, finding motivation and happiness in her work. The pair will continue to train and compete in preparation for the Olympics.