India’s singles players had a good opening day in the individual event of the Badminton Asia Junior Championships in Jakarta but the same cannot be said about the doubles pairs.
Dipty Kuity, Medha Shashidharan, Kavipriya Selvam, Lakshya Sen, Kiran George and Priyanshu Rajawat all won their first-round singles matches in straight games, but India’s No 1-ranked junior Aman Farogh Sanjay lost to 10th seed Karono of Indonesia 21-16, 16-21, 21-17.
Kiran met a fine match in the unseeded Malaysian Chong King Ling, who kept challenging the superiority of India No 3. But Kiran managed to outlast Chong 24-22, 21-16.
Priyanshu Rajawat then made light work of Sri Lanka’s Vikum Fernando, needing only 17 minutes to beat him 21-8, 21-4. Former junior world No 1 then defeated Korea’s Hyeong Jung Kim 21-13, 21-11.
Earlier, India No 7 Dipti provided some cheers after the two successive losses – Srikrishna Sai Kumar Podile/Srishti Jupudi and Orijit Chaliha/Preethi Konadam – in mixed doubles, as she prevailed over Kazakh counterpart Aisha Zhumabek 21-18, 21-13.
This win was followed up nicely by Medha Shashidharan, who accounted for Iya Gordeyeva, also from Kazakhstan, with utmost ease – 21-9, 21-10. Kavipriya Selvam then defeated Myanmar’s Seng Jar Nan 21-5, 21-8.
The Manipuri duo of Manjit Singh Khwairakpam and Dingku Singh Konthoujam did themselves proud to hang on by a thin thread in men’s doubles. They put up a wonderful resistance to overcome their Indonesian rivals Muhammad C Chaniago and Helmi Abu Hanifa 22-20, 23-21.
However, the women’s doubles pair of Nafeesah Sara Sira and Medha S were defeated in straight games, as were the mixed doubles pair of Edwin Joy and Nafeesah.
Results:
Men’s Singles: Kiran George bt Chong King Ling 24-22, 21-16; Lakshya Sen bt Hyeong Jung Kim 21-13, 21-11; Priyanshu Rajawat bt Vikum Fernando 21-8, 21-4; Aman Farogh Sanjay lost to Karono Karono 16-21, 21-16, 17-21.
Women’s Singles: Dipti Kuity bt Aisha Zhumabek 21-18, 21-13; Medha Shashidharan bt Iya Gordeyeva 21-9, 21-10; Kavipriya Selvam bt Seng Jar Nan 21-5, 21-8.
Women’s Doubles: Nafeesah Sara Siraj/Medha Shashidaran lost to Guo Lizhi/Yijing Li 9-21, 18-21.
Mixed Doubles: Srikrishna Sai Kumar/Srishti Jupudi lost to Muhammad Juan Elgiffani/Windi Siti Mulyani 21-17, 13-21, 15-21; Orijit Chaliha/Preethi Konadam lost to Lin Yu Chieh/Cheng Yu Pei 15-21, 18-21; Edwin Joy/Nafeesah S Sriraj lost to Wu Guan Xun/Teng Chun Hsun 17-21, 13-21.
Men’s Doubles: Manjit Singh/Dingku Singh bt Mohd C Chaniago/HA Hanifa 22-20, 23-21.
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