In the ongoing Badminton Asia Team Championships 2024, 17-year-old, WR-472, Anmol Kharb steered the Indian women’s team to a historic victory by defeating Natsuki Nidaira, ranked 29th in the world 21-14, 21-18. As the team won the tie 3-2 against Japan, this is for the first time that the women’s team has reached the summit clash of the tournament, where they will face Thailand on Sunday.
Anmol, the current National Champion, has been sensational at the BATC, having played a pivotal role in the league clash against China, where she won the final match of the tie, to take India in the quarters.
India vs Japan @BATC
The day began with two-time Olympic medalist PV Sindhu suffering a straight-set loss to Aya Ohori, ranked 14th. Ohori clinched the sets 21-13 and 22-20. Nevertheless, the doubles pair of Treesa Jolly & Gayatri Gopichand astonished the 6th-ranked pair and former All England Champions Shida-Matsuyama with a 21-17, 16-21, 22-20 victory, bringing India level.
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Ashmita Chaliha then delivered a stunning performance by defeating former World No. 1 Nozomi Okuhara in straight sets, securing a slender 2-1 lead for India in the tie. However, Japan narrowed the gap as PV Sindhu & Ashwini Ponnappa fell to the 11th-ranked pair, losing 14-21, 11-21.