Daijiworld Media Network - Birmingham
Birmingham, Mar 3: India’s campaign at the prestigious All England Badminton Championships got off to a strong start in Birmingham, with the country’s top mixed doubles pair and leading men’s singles shuttler registering impressive wins.
The mixed doubles duo of Tanisha Crasto and Dhruv Kapila clinched India’s first victory of the tournament, defeating Malaysia’s Hoo Pang Ron and Cheng Su Yin 21-17, 21-19 to advance to the second round.
In men’s singles, Lakshya Sen pulled off a major upset by defeating world No. 1 and defending champion Shi Yu Qi of China in a thrilling opening-round encounter. Lakshya won 23-21, 19-21, 21-17 in a hard-fought three-game battle to move ahead in the tournament.
However, India suffered a setback as two-time Olympic medallist PV Sindhu was forced to miss the tournament. Sindhu returned home after being stranded at Dubai airport due to prevailing geopolitical tensions in West Asia, ruling her out of the competition.
The tournament continues with Indian shuttlers looking to build on the early momentum in one of badminton’s most prestigious events.