Badminton

Treesa Jolly and Gayatri Gopichand's remarkable run at the Singapore Open came to a halt in the semifinals, as they succumbed to a straight-game defeat against the formidable Japanese duo of Nami Matsuyama and Chiharu Shida. The unseeded Indians, who had stunned top-10 opponents in the previous rounds, were outplayed by the World No. 4 pair, who secured a 23-21, 21-11 victory in 47 minutes.The first game witnessed a spirited fightback from Treesa and Gayatri, who rallied from a 5-10 deficit to level the score at 16-16. However, Matsuyama and Shida maintained their composure and earned a game point at 20-18. The Indian duo displayed resilience, saving two game points to tie the game at 21-21. Nevertheless, the Japanese pair regained their momentum and clinched the first game.The second game proved to be a one-sided affair, as Matsuyama and Shida dominated from the outset. They surged to a commanding 20-6 lead before allowing the Indians to briefly reduce the deficit. However, the gap proved insurmountable, and the Japanese duo sealed their place in the final.Treesa and Gayatri's impressive run at the Singapore Open included victories over World No. 2 Baek Ha Na and Lee So Hee in the pre-quarters and World No. 6 Kim So Yeong and Kong Hee Young in the quarters. Their performance showcased their potential and underlined their growing stature in the international badminton circuit.Despite the setback in the semifinals, Treesa and Gayatri have demonstrated their ability to compete against the world's best. Their bronze medal at the Commonwealth Games and their consistent performances on the BWF World Tour Super 750 circuit are a testament to their hard work and dedication.

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.

PV Sindhu's Singapore Open campaign came to an end on Thursday as she suffered a heartbreaking defeat to Carolina Marin in the women's singles pre-quarterfinals. The Indian shuttler, fresh from her runner-up finish at the Thailand Open, took the opening game against her Rio Olympics final nemesis, but the Spaniard bounced back to win 21-13 11-21 20-22 in a thrilling one-hour, eight-minute battle.Sindhu, facing Marin for the first time in seven months after their heated Denmark Open semifinal clash, started strongly, reeling off five successive points to take the opening game. However, the Spaniard, ranked third in the world, responded with a dominant second game, winning six points on the trot to take a 17-7 lead and eventually level the match.The decider was a tense affair, with Sindhu maintaining a narrow lead throughout. However, Marin, known for her resilience and fighting spirit, made a stunning comeback, winning the final four points to seal her 12th career win from 17th matches against the Indian.Sindhu's defeat marks the end of her Singapore Open campaign, but she will take heart from her strong performance in the opening game and her overall form in recent weeks. The Indian shuttler has been in impressive form since the start of the year, reaching the semifinals of the All England Open and the finals of the Thailand Open.Marin, meanwhile, will be confident heading into the quarterfinals, where she will face Thailand's Pornpawee Chochuwong. The Spaniard is a two-time Olympic medalist and a three-time world champion, and she will be looking to add to her impressive trophy cabinet in Singapore.

PV Sindhu, HS Prannoy, and Treesa Jolly-Gayatri Gopichand emerged victorious in the opening round of the Singapore Open Super 750 Badminton Tournament on Wednesday. However, Lakshya Sen faced a disappointing defeat against world No. 1 Viktor Axelsen.Sindhu, a former Singapore Open champion, defeated world No. 21 Line Hojmark Kjaersfeldt of Denmark 21-12, 22-20 in a 44-minute encounter. She will now face Rio Olympic champion Carolina Marin of Spain, who holds an 11-5 record against the Indian.Prannoy overcame a spirited challenge from Julien Carraggi of Belgium 21-9, 18-21, 21-9 to set up a meeting with Japan's Kenta Nishimoto. Commonwealth Games bronze medallists Jolly and Gopichand notched up a 21-7, 21-14 win over Cheng Yu-Pei and Sun Yu Hsing of Chinese Taipei in women's doubles.However, Lakshya Sen, who will make his Olympic debut in Paris, fought hard but lost 13-21, 21-16, 13-21 to Axelsen in a 62-minute battle. Kidambi Srikanth's opening round match ended in agony as he retired due to a knee injury after lagging 14-21, 3-11 against Japan's fifth seed Kodai Naraoka.In other results, Olympic-bound women's combination Tanisha Crasto and Ashwini Ponnappa lost 21-18, 19-21, 19-21 to Ukraine's Polina Buhrova and Yevheniia Kantemyr. Men's pair Krishna Prasad Garage and Sai Pratheek K suffered a 16-21, 22-24 loss to second seeded Chinese Liang Wei Keng and Wang Chang. B Sumeeth Reddy and N Sikki Reddy lost 18-21, 19-21 to Malaysia's Goh Soon Huat and Lai Shevon Jemie in mixed doubles, while Venkat Gaurav Prasad and Juhi Dewangan lost 8-21, 8-21 against Mads Vestergaard and Christine Busch.

World No. 1 Indian badminton duo Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty suffered a disappointing first-round exit at the Singapore Open Super 750 tournament on Tuesday. The top-seeded pair, who were among the favorites for the gold medal at the upcoming Paris Olympics, fell to Denmark's Daniel Lundgaard and Mads Vestergaard in a closely contested match.Despite their impressive victory at the Thailand Open Super 500 earlier this month, Satwik and Chirag struggled to find their rhythm against the Danish duo. The match went down to the wire, with both pairs exchanging thrilling rallies. However, Lundgaard and Vestergaard ultimately prevailed, winning 20-22, 18-21 in a 47-minute encounter.The defeat marked a disappointing start for India at the Singapore Open. Aakarshu Kashyap, ranked 41st in the world, was outplayed by Thailand's Pornpicha Choeikeewong in the women's singles competition, losing 7-21, 15-21. Priyanshu Rajawat also faced a tough challenge in the men's singles, narrowly losing 21-23, 19-21 to Hong Kong's Lee Cheuk Yiu.In the women's doubles, the Indian pair of Rutuparna Panda and Swetaparna Panda fought valiantly but ultimately fell short against Chinese Taipei's Chang Ching Hui and Yang Ching Tun, losing 12-21, 21-12, 13-21. Ashith Surya and Amrutha Pramuthesh also suffered a defeat in the mixed doubles, losing 8-21, 17-21 to Hong Kong's Lee CHun Hei Reginald and Ng Tsz Yau.Despite the setbacks, India's top shuttlers, including PV Sindhu, Lakshya Sen, and HS Prannoy, will begin their campaigns on Wednesday. They will be hoping to put up a strong performance and bring home some medals for India.

India's badminton ace PV Sindhu will lead the Indian contingent at the Singapore Badminton Open 2024 BWF Super 750 tournament, aiming to break her title drought in Singapore after her recent triumph at the Malaysia Masters. Sindhu will be joined by India's top-ranked men's doubles pair, Chirag Shetty and Satwiksairaj Rankireddy, who will be seeking their third title of the season after victories at the French and Thailand Open.The Singapore Badminton Open 2024 will feature a star-studded lineup, headlined by reigning Olympic singles champions Viktor Axelsen and Chen Yufei. Axelsen, the world No. 1, will be looking to build on his momentum after winning the Malaysia Masters men's singles title. He will face India's Lakshya Sen, the reigning Commonwealth Games champion, in his opening match.Tenth-ranked Lee Zii Jia of Malaysia will be aiming for a hat-trick of finals after reaching the title deciders in Thailand and Malaysia this month. Two-time defending Singapore Open men's singles champion Anthony Sinisuka Ginting of Indonesia will be the seventh seed, while his compatriot Jonatan Christie, the reigning All England champion, is seeded third.The home challenge will be led by former world champion Loh Kean Yew, who will face China's Lu Guangzu in his opening match. In the women's singles, reigning Olympic champion Chen Yufei and Rio 2016 gold medalist Carolina Marin are seeded second and third, respectively.China's Wang Zhiyi, who defeated Sindhu to win the Malaysia Masters title last week, will be the seventh seed. In women's doubles, Tokyo 2020 silver medal winners Chen Qingchen and Jia Yifan of China are the No. 1 seeds.The Singapore Badminton Open 2024 promises to be a thrilling tournament with a world-class field of players. Sindhu, Axelsen, and Chen will be among the favorites to win their respective titles, but they will face stiff competition from a host of other top players.

PV Sindhu's long-awaited return to a final has been secured after a hard-fought victory in the semi-finals of the Malaysia Masters. The two-time Olympic medalist overcame a slow start to defeat Thailand's Busanan Ongbamrungphan in a marathon match that lasted over an hour.Despite having a 17-1 record against Ongbamrungphan, Sindhu struggled initially, losing the first game 13-21. However, she regained her composure in the second game, keeping the shuttle in play and avoiding risky shots. The momentum shifted in Sindhu's favor in the third game, as she raced to an 8-2 lead. Ongbamrungphan's errors and fatigue became evident as the match progressed.Sindhu's determination was evident in her loud screams of exultation as she approached victory. She expressed her satisfaction with her performance, noting that she had not reached a final since the 2023 Spain Masters."I am playing her after a very long time. She is playing a very good game. There were really long rallies and both of us didn't give up till the last minute. I was just keeping the shuttle in court however long the rallies went. Every point was important for both of us," Sindhu said.In the final, Sindhu will face Chinese second seed Wang Zhi Yi, against whom she holds a 2-1 record. Sindhu acknowledged the challenge ahead, emphasizing the importance of strategy and execution."She is in the top 10. It is not going to be easy. Result is secondary, what matters is how I play against her, how I keep the shuttle in court, the strategy I use. I am sure she must have seen my match. I am happy to be in a final but it is not over yet. There is still a match to go," Sindhu said.Sindhu's victory marks a significant milestone in her preparation for the upcoming Olympics. She expressed confidence in her ability to perform well and is eager to continue building momentum.

PV Sindhu's return to the badminton circuit has been a gradual process, but the two-time Olympic medalist is slowly regaining her form. After a four-month absence due to a left knee injury, Sindhu made her comeback in February and has since helped India win the Badminton Asia Team Championships. However, she has struggled against top players in individual tournaments, entering the $420,000 Malaysia Masters with an unimpressive 10-6 win-loss record.But in Kuala Lumpur, Sindhu is beginning to find her groove. She defeated Chinese top seed Han Yue in the quarterfinals, her first semi-final appearance in seven months. The fifth-seeded Sindhu took 55 minutes to move past the world No. 6, 21-13, 14-21, 21-12. It was Sindhu's sixth victory in seven meetings over Han, who reached the final of the Thailand Open last week."The third game was crucial for both of us," Sindhu said. "From the first rally, I made sure I was in the game focused and didn't give away easy points. I was in control and I was confident of winning. I'm happy with how I played because I lost our last match. It's a shame as I was leading, but this is like a sweet revenge."Sindhu will take on Thai Busanan Ongbamrungphan in the semifinals, against whom the Indian has an overwhelming 17-1 record. However, it was the end of the road for Ashmita Chaliha, who lost 10-21, 15-21 to Chinese sixth seed Zhang Yi Man.

The Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports' Mission Olympic Cell (MOC) has extended financial support to Indian badminton star Lakshya Sen and other elite athletes in their preparations for the 2024 Paris Olympics.Lakshya Sen, who will represent India in the men's singles event in Paris, will undergo a 12-day training stint in Marseille, France, from July 8 to 21. The training session will be held at The Halle des Sports Parsemain, where Sen will work with his coach and support staff.MOC has also approved double Olympic medalist PV Sindhu's proposal to train in Saarbrucken, Germany, for over a month. Sindhu will train at the Hermann-Neuberger Sportschule with her coach and support staff before heading to Paris.Under the Ministry's Target Olympic Podium Scheme (TOPS), MOC has sanctioned funding for the athletes' airfare, boarding/lodging costs, local transportation charges, Visa Fees, and shuttlecock expenses.In addition to Sen and Sindhu, MOC has approved support for other athletes, including table tennis player Sreeja Akula, archer Tisha Punia, golfer Aditi Ashok, and swimmer Aryan Nehra. TOPS will fund their airfare, accommodation, local transportation, equipment (for Akula and Nehra), and caddy fee (for Ashok).MOC has also expanded its TOPS Core group by including table tennis player Harmeet Desai and the Women's 4x400 Relay Team. Wrestlers Nisha (68kg) and Reetika (76kg) have been promoted to the Core group.Furthermore, promising golfer Kartik Singh has been inducted into TOPS Development, with a focus on the 2028 and 2032 Olympics in Los Angeles and Brisbane, respectively.These initiatives demonstrate the government's commitment to supporting elite athletes in their pursuit of Olympic glory. The financial assistance and training opportunities provided by MOC will enable these athletes to optimize their preparations and strive for success at the highest level.