Badminton Asia U-17 & U-15 Championships: India Assured Of Gold As Lakshya Rajesh, Diksha Sudhakar Punch Ticket To Finals

India shine at the Badminton Asia U-17 & U-15 Championships as Diksha Sudhakar, Lakshya Rajesh set up finals clash. (X)

Diksha Sudhakar and Lakshya Rajesh have set up a summit clash, ensuring India a gold medal in the girls’ U-17 category at the Badminton Asia U-17 & U-15 Championships on Saturday.

With top seed Shaina Manimuthu also reaching the girls’ U-15 final, India has a chance to win two gold medals. The Indian team was already assured of five medals before Saturday’s semifinal matches.

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

While Diksha and Lakshya cruised through their semifinals, Shaina had to work hard for almost an hour against China’s Yun Jie Yi before winning 21-12, 16-21, 21-16. She will now face Japan’s Chiharu Tomita in the girls’ U-15 final.

However, India’s hopes for a final spot in the U-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.