Indian badminton sensation Anmol Kharb has reached the final of the Belgian International 2024. Ranked 222nd in the world, the 17-year-old beat Bulgaria’s Kaloyana Nalbantova in three tight games in the semifinal. Nalbantova is 68th in the Badminton World Federation (BWF) rankings and was the overwhelming favourite to win. Anmol, though, had other ideas.
She started hot, taking the first game with ease (21-13) over the third seed. The intense battle then began. The second game was taken by Nalbantova, 26-24. Naturally, Anmol was tired. Prior to her semifinal match, she’d played 5 matches in 3 days. Starting from qualifying, she beat five opponents in straight games to enter the final four.
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She’d spent 3.30 hours on court already. But she fought and eventually took the third game 21-19 and won the semifinal in 1.16 hours. However, it doesn’t get easier from here on. She’ll face Denmark’s Amalia Schulz in the Belgian International 2024 Final later today with the aim of winning her maiden BWF title.
Schulz, similar to Nalbantova, is ranked higher than Anmol. The Danish shuttler is coming off a straight games win over France’s Anna Tatranova and is ranked 80th in the world. She’ll be much fresher coming to the final. Six years senior, Schulz would bank on her experience and hope to tire and grind Anmol Kharb out. The Indian, meanwhile, would give her all to lift her first crier title. She’s been playing fearlessly and would look to continue doing that in the final.
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