Aakarshi Kashyap, India’s top-ranked junior, claimed an impressive double crown at the junior national badminton championships in Guwahati by winning the Under-17 and Under-19 singles titles.
The 16-year-old defended her title in the Under-17 category by beating Malvika Bansod in the final on Monday. Kashyap did not have it easy as she was beaten in the first game 21-23 before she came back to win the next two 21-17 and 21-12 to clinch the title after one hour and five minutes.
It seemed like Kashyap’s second final of the day would also go the distance as Vaidehi Choudhari stretched her right down in the first game of the Under-19 final, before Kashyap emerged a 22-20, 21-11 winner in 38 minutes.
The Bhilai teenager’s feat is incredible considering she played 12 matches across five days in the two age-group categories. She dropped only two games throughout her double title-winning campaign.
Kashyap was not the only shuttler to win a double at the junior Nationals. Mithula UK, 17, also achieved the feat after winning the Under-19 girls doubles (with Rutuparna Panda) and mixed doubles (with Krishna Prasad Garaga) titles.
Maisnam Meiraba of Manipur won the Under-17 boys singles title after beating Amit Rathore 21-13, 21-10 in the final. In the Under-19 boys singles final, Aryamann Tandon beat BM Rahul Bharadwaj 10-21, 21-18, 21-19 after an hour and eight minutes.
