Indian mixed doubles pair of N. Sikki Reddy and Rohan Kapoor emerged victorious in the Victor Denmark Masters Badminton Championship over the weekend with a stunning display of skill and determination.
The duo's remarkable performance in the tournament adds to their growing list of accomplishments in the mixed doubles category, reinforcing their status as an emerging force in the badminton circuit.
With Sikki's vast experience and Rohan's youthful energy, their partnership has proven to be a winning combination.
“It’s a nice feeling to win tournaments and to clinch gold is amazing. We have put in a lot of effort and I am happy with the way we are progressing. Having said that we have a long way to go and our next target is to do well in the upcoming World Championships which will happen in August,” Sikki told Sportstar from Denmark.
The victory in Denmark is not an isolated incident but rather a testament to the pair's consistent performance. Prior to this triumph, they secured gold medals in the Maldives Open and Raipur International tournaments, followed by a bronze in the Vietnam Open. Continuing their winning streak, they claimed the silver medal in Slovenia before clinching the gold in the Denmark Open.
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Their victory against Jesper Toft and Clara Graversen tastes sweeter because the pair had gone down to the same opponents in the finals of the Slovenia tournament.
"It was a good challenge and to beat them (Toft & Graversen) in the semis boosted our confidence. We have kept some targets for this year and hopefully we achieve those. We have drawn up specific goals and so far we have been able to tick almost all boxes. Preparation wise we are doing well,” Sikki said.
After claiming a podium finish in Denmark, their next tournament will be the Nantes International Challenge in France which is set to take place from June 15-18.
Why did Sikki Reddy split with Ashwini Ponappa?
Sikki had previously forged a successful partnership with Ashwini Ponnappa and even won the bronze medal in the 2018 Commonwealth Games. However, with the results going south, the duo decided to part ways.
"It didn’t work as planned with Ashwini is what I can say but we enjoyed the partnership. It was a mutual decision. It’s a new start with Rohan and we have gelled well as a unit and the progress has been good. Me being a left-hander, Rohan took a bit of time to adjust and understand. But now the tuning is perfect,” she said.
How are they working towards Olympic qualification?
Currently ranked 35 in mixed doubles, Sikki and Rohan are aiming to make significant strides in their rankings. A strong performance in the Nantes International Challenge will elevate their position, potentially placing them among the top 30 pairs in the world.
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Their focus is on participating in prominent tournaments such as super 500s, super 750s, and super 1000s, which hold paramount importance as this year is an Olympic qualification year. The duo's performance in these tournaments will be crucial for their chances of representing India in the Olympics.
Moreover, the badminton World Championship, set to be held in Copenhagen, is fast approaching and it will be an important milestone in the Olympic qualification period.
The win in Denmark will certainly be a morale booster for them ahead of the mega event. They are fully focused on achieving podium finishes in the BWF events, as the best 10 tournament performance points will be considered for their Olympic qualification.
“To represent India in the Olympics is always a dream. And we have set goals and are working hard to make that dream come true. For now, we want to continue the winning momentum and do well in Nantes,” she concluded.
