All India Senior Badminton | Malvika Bansod crowned women’s singles champion
Malvika Bansod registered a brilliant 21-19, 23-21 victory against Purva Barve of Pune in 53 minutes to secure her second All India Senior Ranking career title on Sunday. Bansod admitted that she was forced to play on the defensive against Purva but backed herself to perform well in the final.
In a closely battled finale of the women’s singles event, 14th-seed Malvika ended the dream of qualifier Purva Barve with an impressive 21-19, 23-21 victory in 53 minutes. Bansod, who was crowned the youngest Indian at the age of 15 to win the All India Senior Ranking, had to fight hard in the final of the recently concluded tournament in Nagpur. The 17-year-old left-handed player managed to close the match in two straight games on Sunday but faced stiff competition from Purva Barve, who represented Air India.
The two teenagers were on par during their thrilling encounter and it was just a matter of few points here and there which made Malvika the champion. The crowd got their money’s worth as two Maharashtrian girls found themselves in the final to win the ultimate crown. Malvika had a slender lead in the first game which she maintained till the end to grab the first game 21-19.
The former winner replicated the same performance in the second game to register big lead in the second game. At 19-14, Malvika was just a few points away from the title but Purva was not the one to go down without a fight. The Nikhil Kanetkar Badminton Academy student staged a remarkable recovery and levelled the scores. Malvika had a match point at 21-20 but her gritty opponent saved it. In the end, at 21-21, Malvika won two successive points to lay hands on the All India Senior Rankings title win in the women’s singles category.
“It was a very tough match. She is an excellent stroke player and likes to attack always. I had to rely on my defence to counter her natural style of play. In the last few matches I managed to stretch my opponents doing rallies but against Purva, I had to change my tactics. My defence came handy today and whenever I got chances, I finished the points.
“I upset sixth seed Neha Pandit in pre-quarters and fourth seed Vaidehi Choudhari. In between, I had to dig deep to beat former national champion PC Thulasi. Those matches really took a heavy toll on my body and tested my fitness and temperament. I am glad I managed to overcome higher-ranked players on way to triumph. I would like to thank NDBA and MBA for their support,” an elated Malvika told TOI on Sunday.
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