On Tuesday, February 13, the fifth edition of the Badminton Asia Team Championships began in Selangor, Malaysia. The tournament holds significance this year as the Asian qualifying tournament for the 2024 Thomas & Uber Cup in China.
Get the latest sports betting odds here!
India's women's team won a historic gold at the tournament on Sunday as they defeated Thailand 3-2 in their first-ever final.
For India, the find of the tournament was 17-year-old Anmol Kharb, who won the deciders in the semi-final against Japan and then again in the final against Thailand.
Anmol Kharb powers India to historic medal at Badminton Asia Team Championships
On Saturday, after four matches (two doubles and two singles), the score was locked at 2-2 meaning the winner of the final singles match between Natsuki Nidaira and Anmol Kharb would decide which team would make the final.
World No. 472 Kharb pulled off a stunning upset victory, winning 21-14, 21-18 over her Japanese opponent ranked 443 places above. The win also meant India would win their first-ever medal at the Championships.
Make way for the history makers, the girls of 🇮🇳an #Badminton🏸😍🥳
— SAI Media (@Media_SAI) February 18, 2024
Kudos to these powerhouses as they clinch 🇮🇳 Women's Team's FIRST-EVER medal at #BadmintonAsiaChampionships, smashing through obstacles to emerge as CHAMPIONS 🏆 against 🇹🇭🔥
Many congratulations to all! This… pic.twitter.com/h9dMTytoX8
Just two days earlier, Kharb had proved the difference between India and China as she defeated world No. 149 Wu Luo Yu 22-20, 14-21, 21-18 to secure a 3-2 victory in the group stage.
The Indian then repeated the heroics against Thailand on Sunday. After Thailand overcame a 0-2 deficit and levelled the tie, Kharb put in a nerveless performance, as she dispatched Pornchipa Choeikeewong 21-14, 21-9 in 42 minutes to take India to victory.
Who is Anmol Kharb?
Anmol Kharb was born in Faridabad in January 2007, nearly a year after Indian superstar Saina Nehwal had become the new U19 national champion. In an interview with Indian Express, she pointed to Nehwal as her inspiration, hoping to play on the international circuit just like her idol.
In the same conversation, Kharb mentioned how she had taken up badminton after watching her brother Hardik play. But when he decided to concentrate on his studies, Anmol decided she would make it big in the sport. She shifted to the Sunrise Shuttlers Academy in Noida, with her mother Rajbala remaining a constant pillar of support.
In 2019, still just 12 years old, Kharb won her first U17 All India Ranking title in Hyderabad and reached the semifinal of the Senior All India Ranking tournament in Visakhapatnam. Despite the continued success at youth level, her performance at the Asia Championships has been a pleasant suprise, and bodes well for the future of Indian badminton.
If you purchase a product or register for an account through one of the links on our site, we may receive compensation. Learn more >