Unnati Hooda, Malvika Bansod, and Aakarshi Kashyap Crash Out as India’s disappointing run in top-level international badminton tournaments showed no signs of improvement, as all remaining players bowed out early at the Thailand Open Super 500 in Bangkok on Thursday, ending the country’s campaign without a medal.
Treesa-Gayatri Exit Marks End of India’s Challenge
The women’s doubles pair of Treesa Jolly and Gayatri Gopichand, ranked world No. 10, were the last elite Indian players in the fray. Returning from an injury break, they lost a close match 20-22, 14-21 to Japan’s Rui Hirokami and Sayaka Hobara in the second round.
Earlier, Lakshya Sen had already exited in the opening round of men’s singles on Wednesday.
Young Guns Fail to Make a Mark
India’s young shuttlers also couldn’t turn the tide. All three—Unnati Hooda, Malvika Bansod, and Aakarshi Kashyap—lost their women’s singles second-round matches in straight games against higher-ranked opponents.
- Unnati Hooda (17), champion at the 2022 Odisha Masters and 2023 Abu Dhabi Masters, was outclassed by world No. 2 and top seed Pornpawee Chochuwong of Thailand, 14-21, 11-21 in just 39 minutes.
- Malvika Bansod, world No. 23 and 2024 Hylo Open runner-up, went down fighting 12-21, 16-21 to former world champion and local favourite Ratchanok Intanon.
- Aakarshi Kashyap was no match for Thai left-hander Supanida Katethong, losing 9-21, 14-21 in just 34 minutes.
Tharun Mannepalli Falls in Second Round
In men’s singles, Tharun Mannepalli was the only Indian to reach the second round, but he couldn’t get past world No. 4 and second seed Anders Antonsen of Denmark, who beat him 14-21, 16-21 in 42 minutes.
No Final Appearances Yet in 2024
India has yet to reach a final in any BWF World Tour event this year, with top stars like PV Sindhu, HS Prannoy, and Lakshya Sen battling through a tough phase marked by injuries, illness, and loss of form.
As the Olympic season approaches, Indian badminton fans are hoping for a quick turnaround in fortunes.
