Badminton: Bornil Aakash Changmai and Zenith Abbigail lose in semis

Pune: Indian shuttlers entered finals with assured gold in the mixed doubles and another spot in women’s doubles in the semifinals of the ongoing Late Sushant Chipalkatti India Junior International Grand Prix at the P. E. Society’s Modern PDMBA Sports Complex here on Saturday.

In mixed doubles, C. Lalramsanga and Taarini Suri advanced to the final after overcoming Japan’s Shuji Sawada and Aoi Banno 19-21, 21-12, 21-13 in a 49-minute clash. In the other semifinal, Vansh Dev and Shravani Walekar rallied back to defeat compatriots Bornil Aakash Changmai and Zenith Abbigail 16-21, 21-13, 21-19, also in 49 minutes. With both Indian pairs advancing, the mixed doubles final will be an all-India affair, confirming a gold medal for the hosts. In women’s doubles, Aanya Bisht and Angel Punera registered a thrilling win over Japan’s Anri Yamanaka and Sona Yonemoto 21-19, 22-24, 21-15 in a battle lasting 1 hour and 22 minutes. The Indian duo will now take on Japan’s fifth seeds, Aoi Banno and Yuzu Ueno, in the final.

Meanwhile, other Indian shuttlers competing in the semifinals fell short against their opponents, concluding their campaigns in the tournament. The event continued to witness a series of stellar performances by India’s emerging shuttlers.

Earlier in the mixed doubles quarterfinals, India’s Bornil Aakash Changmai and Zenith Abbigail pulled off the biggest upset of the day by defeating the top-seeded pair Bhavya Chhabra and Angel Punera 23-21, 21-17 in an all-India encounter. (IANS)

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