Nishchal Chand Stuns Second Seed To Storm Into Indian Junior International GP Final

Nishchal Chand produced one of the standout performances of the Indian Junior International badminton Grand Prix on Saturday, fighting past second seed Jagsher Singh Khangurra to book his place in the men’s singles final.

The 16th-seeded Chand overcame a slow start and held his nerve in a fiercely contested semifinal, defeating Khangurra 18-21, 21-18, 21-16. After dropping the opening game, Chand raised his intensity in the second and third games, steadily taking control of the contest to complete an impressive comeback victory.

Chand will now face top seed Dev Ruparelia in the title clash. Ruparelia also had to work hard for his place in the final, overcoming seventh seed Pranav Manjunath 15-21, 21-17, 21-13.

The men’s singles final promises to be an intriguing battle, with Chand carrying the confidence of an upset victory while Ruparelia will look to justify his top seeding and finish his campaign with the title.

In the women’s singles, India’s Gatha Suryawanshi also made it through to the final after defeating Thailand’s Pattanun Thiannaparpornchok 15-21, 21-15, 21-18.

Suryawanshi, who recovered strongly after losing the opening game, will face second seed Ishita Negi in the final. Negi secured her place in the title decider with a straight-game victory over Rishika Nandi, winning 21-14, 22-20.

With Indian players featuring in both singles finals, the tournament is set for an exciting finish in Pune.