All posts tagged: Devika Sihag

Malaysia Masters 2026: Ashmita exits in quarters

Malaysia Masters 2026: Ashmita exits in quarters

Published by Webster

India’s campaign Malaysia Masters Super 500 came to an end after shuttler Ashmita Chaliha lost her quarterfinal match in Kuala Lumpur on Friday. Ashmita, world No. 71, squandered an early lead of 11-6 in the first game to lose to world No. 23 Line Hojmark Kjaersfeldt of Denmark 23-21, 18-21, 11-21 in the women’s singles in just a little over an hour. Line, seeded eighth, defeated two Indians Anmol Kharb and Malvika Bansod in the earlier rounds. Ashmita held her nerves even as Line narrowed the gap to 19-18. In the second games, Ashmita took an early lead at 10-5 before Line equalised at 13-all. This time, however, the Dane made no mistake and forced a decider and also the third game. Ashmita, returning after an injury gap, beat junior world champion Goh Jin Wei of Malaysia 21-13, 21-16. Disclaimer: We do not own any of the content, ideas, images, or text presented here. All rights belong to their respective owners. For more information and to view the original source, please visit the following link: …

Malaysia Masters 2026: Ashmita exits in quarters

Malaysia Masters 2026: Ashmita storms into quarterfinals

Published by Webster

Ashmita Chaliha stormed into the women’s singles quarterfinals at the Malaysia Masters Super 500 tournament in Kuala Lumpur on Thursday. Ashmita got the better of two-time junior world champion Goh Jin Wei of Malaysia 21-13, 21-16. Meanwhile, other Indian shuttlers including Malvika Bansod and Devika Sihag lost their respective women’s singles matches. Malvika lost to eighth seed Line Hojmark Kjaersfeldt of Denmark 21-16, 8-21, 15-21 in almost an hour. Devika surrendered to top seed Chen Yu Fei of China 16-21, 13-21 in 36 minutes. Ashmita, who is the lone Indian in action in women’s singles, will now play eighth seed Line Hojmark Kjaersfeldt of Denmark for a place in the final four. In the men’s doubles, Hariharan Amsakarunan and MR Arjun too fell out of contention, losing to Chinese pair Hu Ke Yuan and Lin Xiang Yi 14-21, 15-21 in 35 minutes. Hariharan-Arjun had created ripples after pulling off a major upset against the seventh-seeded French brothers Christo and Toma Junior Popov, winning 21-19, 21-15 in straight games in the opening round. Indian mixed doubles …

PV Sindhu storms in quarters

PV Sindhu storms in quarters

Published by Webster

Indian shuttler PV Sindhu had a comfortable outing as she stormed into the quarterfinals of the Thailand Open Super500 Tournament on Thursday. The 30-year-old got the better of Denmark’s Amalie Schulz 21-13, 21-15 in just 28 minutes. Top seeds Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty advanced to the quarters after registering a comfortable win over Malaysia’s Goonting-Haikal 21-12, 21-19 in men’s. Satwik-Chirag are looking to win their third Thailand Open title, having previously won in 2019 and 2024. Meanwhile, in the men’s singles former world no. 1 Kidambi Srikanth and 2021 World Championships bronze medallist Lakshya Sen will be in action later in the day. Lakshya will face China’s Zhu Xuan Chen, while Srikanth will take on Chinese Taipei’s Su Li-yang. In women’s singles, Devika Sihag and Malvika Bansod will also be in action later in the day. More to follow… Disclaimer: We do not own any of the content, ideas, images, or text presented here. All rights belong to their respective owners. For more information and to view the original source, please visit the following …

Devika Sihag wins in 3 sets; Anmol Kharb fritters 11-2 lead in decider vs former Olympic champion

Devika Sihag wins in 3 sets; Anmol Kharb fritters 11-2 lead in decider vs former Olympic champion

Published by Webster

Bronze medals at Thomas Cups don’t have aftermaths. But if the last week has proven anything to upcoming shuttlers, it is that only wins will be considered to be making any headway in Indian badminton. From amongst those needing to prove a point at the Thailand Open in Patumwan, Bangkok, Devika Sihag had the most significant win, defeating Natsuki Nidaira 21-19, 13-21, 21-15 to move into the second round. The Indian ranked No 40 defeated the Japanese No 26. Her state-mate from Haryana, Anmol Kharb, had a tougher opponent in former Olympic champion, Chen Yufei. The once Indian prodigy, who won the National Badminton title at 16, and then proceeded to help India claim the women’s Asian team title, put the Chinese former World No 1 under the pump with a spirited display to lead 21-19, 13-21, 11-2. But she was sloppy thereafter, and a tad clueless thereafter not knowing the best tactical path to close out, as she gave away 19 points thereafter and managed to score only 7. It’s where the big names, …

How Devika Sihag clinched the Thailand Masters title

How Devika Sihag clinched the Thailand Masters title

Published by Webster

Trailing 15-20 in the opening game of the quarter-finals against world No 16 Supanida Katethong at the 2026 Thailand Masters Super 300 last week, Devika Sihag scripted a wonderful turnaround. She went on to win seven points in a row to pocket the game 22-20. The Indian shuttler took the second game comfortably to knock out the home favourite. Two days later, she stood on top of the podium with the women’s singles title in the bag. She became only the third Indian women’s singles shuttler, behind legends Saina Nehwal and PV Sindhu, to win a Super 300 title or above. “I wasn’t thinking anything at that time [when trailing 15-20 against Kathethong],” recalled Sihag in a conversation with The Bridge. “I just told myself I’ll keep pushing her into rallies and she eventually started making mistakes, which helped me,” she added. Just as she explained, Sihag likes to keep things simple. At 5-feet 9 inches, she is one of the taller shuttlers going around in the world tour circuit. Training alongside double Olympic medallist …

Devika Sihag training with PV Sindhu: How Thailand Masters winner is perfecting her power smash | Badminton News

Devika Sihag training with PV Sindhu: How Thailand Masters winner is perfecting her power smash | Badminton News

Published by Webster

It helps Devika Sihag, that she runs the arduous 400m laps alongside PV Sindhu, and watches from all angles just how far the backswing goes when the former World champ thunders a smash from the back-court. Being tall is a blessing – she’s near 5’9″, but playing tall needs attention to details that need a list of things to do, as long as their frames. “We lack in agility – I mean it’s not as good as those with shorter legs, and need work. But we cover the court easily and can hit steep, down shots and smashes much better,” Devika says, speaking about working alongside Sindhu in Bengaluru. Sindhu’s decisive, destructive power smash from the back, with blazing, unretrievable power, a signature stroke that has kept Indian badminton giddy for a decade, is the 20-year-old Devika’s aspiration. She discovers every day training with her hero, just how tough it is to emulate. “Smash is good and i have good angles on it, but at that next level, I need more power,” the winner of …

Thailand Masters 2026: Devika Sihag crowned champion in women’s singles

Thailand Masters 2026: Devika Sihag crowned champion in women’s singles

Published by Webster

Devika Sihag continued her momentum at the 2026 Thailand Masters Super 300 Tournament, taking it all the way to crown the women’s title at the Nimibutr Stadium in Bangkok, on Sunday. The 20-year-old had a comparatively easier win in the final as Malaysia’s Goh Jin Wei retired in the second game due to injury at the score of 8-21, 3-6. This is Devika’s first World Tour title and also the first Super300+ title for India in the women’s singles category since Sindhu’s Syed Modi International title in 2024. She is also now only the third Indian to win a women’s singles title of BWF Super 300+ events after the big two- Saina Nehwal and PV Sindhu. The former national champion came in limelight after a major win in the quarterfinal against a former top-10 player and home favourite Supanida Kathethong. The youngster also showed her dominance throughout the tournament, winning all five matches in straight games, including three wins against seeded players. In the final, she outclassed her opponent with aggressive play and didn’t allow …

PV Sindhu’s frame-sake, the tall Devika Sihag, claims first Super 300 title at Thailand after opponent retires from injury | Badminton News

PV Sindhu’s frame-sake, the tall Devika Sihag, claims first Super 300 title at Thailand after opponent retires from injury | Badminton News

Published by Webster

3 min readUpdated: Feb 1, 2026 03:07 PM IST Devika Sihag, the 20-year-old shuttler from Hansi in Punjab, who stands tall at 172 cms (5’9″), has struck her first tournament title victory at the Super 300 level. In a brilliant week where she didn’t drop a single set, Devika upset two seeded players, including top seed Supanida Katethong, on way to making the finals. Against a clearly struggling Goh Jin Wei who has played 4 three setters all week, Devika was hardly stretched, winning after her opponent retired when 21-8, 6-3 down. Thailand always portends good omens for Indians as this is where Kidambi Srikanth and Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty struck their first titles of note. Devika, whose tall frame helps her with a fluid attack, has struggled to break through due to persistent knee patella issues. She had also been low on confidence this past season as niggles held her back. However, this week, she has benefitted from having former national champ Sayali Gokhale in her corner, who struck a title immediately on …

Why Indian badminton should refrain from anointing any youngster as the Saina-Sindhu successor – the heir isn’t apparent

Why Indian badminton should refrain from anointing any youngster as the Saina-Sindhu successor – the heir isn’t apparent

Published by Webster

Marketeers and broadcasters need a face to sell. Their aims are dynastic in nature—energies devoted to assembling an heir for the throne, constantly searching for princelings to succeed the kings. Indian women’s singles badminton lucked out once when PV Sindhu emerged perfectly as the princess who took over from the queen, Saina Nehwal. It is the exact scenario India should refrain from attempting to recreate. The reasons are simple: there isn’t an heir apparent in our sights right now. You need an An Se-young-level talent for that, and India doesn’t have one currently. Rushing to declare someone the next big thing—for the lure of promise and to satiate market demand—will be a huge disservice to the talent herself. The temperaments of current contenders are far off Saina-levels, and their physicality, the very basis for this sport, is nowhere close to making bold assumptions about their futures. Marketers will of course go sniffing for their next project to present to the world. But there are huge dangers in ruining that same potential by force-creating auras where …

Devika Sihag storms into women’s singles final

Devika Sihag storms into women’s singles final

Published by Webster

Devika Sihag, the lone Indian standing at the 2026 Thailand Masters Super 300, made her way into the women’s singles final on Saturday. Sihag registered a comfortable 22-20, 21-13 win over the fifth seeded Huang Yu Hsun of Chinese Taipei in just 38 minutes in the semi-finals. Sihag, who had stunned the local favourite and top seed Supanida Katethong of Thailand in the quarter-finals, did not have the best of starts against the Chinese Taipei shuttler. The former Indian national champion, in fact, trailed 15-20 in the opening game before saving five game points. She seemed to have turned on a switch from that point as she won seven consecutive points and take the opening game to leave Huang in a state of disbelief. Sihag built on the momentum in the second game and left no room for error as she cruised to wrap up the match in straight games. The final appearance will make her only the fifth Indian women’s singles shuttler after Olympic medallist Saina Nehwal, former world champion PV Sindhu, southpaw Malvika …