India guaranteed at least one gold in Badminton Asia U-17 and U-15 Championships

India is assured of at least one gold medal in the Badminton Asia Under-17 and U-15 Championships, with Diksha Sudhakar and Lakshya Rajesh securing final spots in the girls' U-17 category. Shaina Manimuthu also reached the girls' U-15 final

Hyderabad: India were assured of a gold medal in the girls’ under-17 category of the Badminton Asia Under-17 and 15 Years Championships after sixth seed Diksha Sudhakar and eighth seed Lakshya Rajesh registered straight-game victories in their respective semifinals in Chengdu on Saturday.

With top seed Shaina Manimuthu also reaching the girls’ U-15 final, India will now have a chance to bring home two gold medals. The Indian contingent was already assured of five medals ahead of Saturday’s semifinal matches.

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In the girls’ under-17 semifinal, Diksha defeated Chinese Taipei’s Yun Chiao Su 21-8, 21-17 in 27 minutes, before Lakshya joined her in the finals with a 21-15, 21-19 win over Japan’s Ria Haga.

While the two girls eased through their semifinals, Shaina was made to work hard for almost an hour by China’s Yun Jie Yi before prevailing 21-12, 16-21, 21-16.

She will now face Japan’s Chiharu Tomita in the girls’ U-15 final.

However, India’s hopes of a final spot in the under-17 mixed doubles and U-17 boys’ doubles categories were dashed.

In the mixed doubles semifinals, Jangjeet Singh Kajla and Jananika Ramesh lost 17-21, 21-18, 21-16 to I An Chang and Yo Han Wang of Chinese Taipei.

Meanwhile, Jagsher Singh Khangurra lost his boys’ singles semifinal against China’s Hong Tian Yue 21-11, 21-16.