Solo (Indonesia), July 26 (IANS) India wrapped up a strong showing at the Badminton Asia Juniors Individual Championships on Saturday, with rising stars Tanvi Sharma and Vennala Kalagotla clinching bronze medals.

The tournament marked a historic milestone for India, as it was the first time two Indian women’s singles players stood on the podium in the same edition.

Vennala put up a spirited fight in her semifinal clash against China’s Liu Si Ya, eventually losing 15-21, 18-21 in a 37-minute battle.

Trailing 15-20 in the second game, Vennala saved three match points to ignite hopes of a comeback, but a costly error at a critical moment handed Liu Si Ya a straight-games victory.

In the other women’s singles semi-final, second seed Tanvi went down 13-21, 14-21 to China’s eighth seed Yin Yi Qing in a 35-minute contest.

After losing the first game, Tanvi showed resilience in the second, surging to a 6-1 lead. However, Yin steadily closed the gap, drawing level at 8-8 before pulling away to seal the match.

Despite the loss, it was another notable showing from Tanvi, who had finished runner-up at the US Open Super 300 just last month.

Earlier, Tanvi maintained her dominant form to progress to the last four after defeating fifth seed Thalita Ramadhani Wiryawan of Indonesia 21-19, 21-14 in a swift 35-minute encounter.

Joining her in the semis was Vennala, who braved a strong challenge from Thailand’s Janyaporn Meepanthong in a gripping 58-minute contest. Vennala took the opening game 21-18 with some sharp rallies, but Janyaporn fought back to edge the second 21-17, forcing the match into a decider.

In the final game, Vennala pulled ahead in the closing stages, eventually sealing a 21-18, 17-21, 21-17 victory to earn her semifinal berth.

–IANS

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