Ashmita Chaliha Makes History by Winning Korea Masters Badminton Title

Historic Victory for Ashmita Chaliha

Asan (Korea), August 9: In a remarkable achievement, Ashmita Chaliha triumphed over fourth-seeded Han Qian Xi from China in the Korea Masters final, marking her as the first Indian to secure this prestigious title. The 26-year-old left-handed player overcame a game deficit to win with scores of 14-21, 21-14, 21-14 in a match that lasted 53 minutes, earning the most significant title of her career and joining the elite group of Super 300 champions from India.

Ashmita, who hones her skills at the National Centre of Excellence in Guwahati, has now etched her name in history. While renowned players like Saina Nehwal and PV Sindhu have previously claimed numerous titles at this level, Ashmita's victory adds to the recent successes of Indian badminton, following Devika Sihag's win at the Thailand Masters and Tanvi Sharma's triumph at the Chinese Taipei Open.

Expressing her joy after the victory, Ashmita stated, “I feel really great and unbelievable. But then I am trying to digest it. Now, I am hungry for more.”

Ranked World No. 50, Ashmita had previously defeated top seed Hina Akechi in the quarterfinals. She started the final match strongly, taking a 9-5 lead, but a series of errors allowed her opponent to take the first game.

However, the shuttler from Guwahati quickly regained her composure in the subsequent games, demonstrating patience and skill to secure crucial points and ultimately win the match.

Reflecting on her performance, Ashmita noted, “In the first game, it was a little bit tricky because of the drift condition. So I was not able to manage it. But in the second, the other side was more comfortable and there was less drift. So I was able to control it. And in the third, after 11 points, I changed again. So I was on the good side. So I'm glad that I could pull off.”

Assam's Chief Minister, Himanta Biswa Sarma, took to social media to congratulate Ashmita on her achievement. He expressed, “Many congratulations to Assam's own and India's rising badminton star Ashmita Chaliha on clinching the BWF Korea Open — her maiden World Tour title — with a clinical win over Han Qian Xi of China. As I have always said, India will dominate the badminton court for years to come.”