Indian women clinch Asian crown for the first time

Indian women’s badminton team on Sunday scripted history after they won their maiden Badminton Asia Championships title in Malaysia’s Selangor.

The Indian women’s badminton team defeated Thailand by 3-2 in the final match to get hold of their first-ever medal at the prestigious Badminton Asia Championships.

India displayed a quality performance at the Badminton Asia Championships as they beat China, Hong Kong and Japan on the road to the final.

Olympic medallist PV Sindhu started for Team India and beat the 17th-ranked Supanida Katethong 21-12, 21-12. Sindhu dominated her Thai opponents in the opening singles rubber and ended the game in just 39 minutes.

In the second game, Treesa Jolly and Gayatri Gopichand stepped up yet again. Jolly-Gayatri clinched a win over Jongkolphan Kititharakul and Rawinda Prajongjai by 21-16, 18-21, 21-16 to give India a 2-0 lead.

However, Thai badminton players gave a fightback with Busanan Ongbamrungphan defeating Ashmita Chaliha by 21-11, 21-14 in the second singles rubber of the tie.

Priya Konjengbam and Shruti Mishra then lost 21-11, 21-9 to Benyapa Aimsaard and Nuntakarn Aimsaard, and took the match to the final round.

The 17-year-old Anmol Kharb had to play a pivotal role in the final round, and she did not disappoint. While facing world

No. 45 Pornpicha Choeikeewong in a high-pressure deciding match, Kharb walked away with a 21-14, 21-9 win to hand India a historic win in the tournament.

“Make way for the history makers, the girls of India #Badminton. Kudos to these powerhouses as they clinch Indian Women’s Team’s FIRST-EVER medal at #BadmintonAsiaChampionships, smashing through obstacles to emerge as CHAMPIONS against Thailand. Many congratulations to all! This will indeed be a Sunday to remember,” the Sports Authority of India (SAI) wrote on their official X (formerly Twitter) account.

Earlier on Saturday, the Indian women’s team defeated Japan by 3-2 in a thrilling semifinal.