South Asian Games: N Sikki Reddy-Meghana Jakkampudi, Gayatri Gopichand enter quarters

While in women's singles, Gayatri Gopichand blew away Nepal's Nangzal Tamang, in women's doubles, N Sikki Reddy and Meghana Jakkampudi defeated Maldives' Neela Najeeb and Maisa Ismail.

(Representational image)

Indian shuttlers, including Gayatri Gopichand and women’s doubles pair of N Sikki Reddy and Meghana Jakkampudi, progressed to the quarterfinals of the individual event at the 13th South Asian Games (SAG) here on Tuesday.

In women’s singles, rising star Gayatri blew away Nepal’s Nangzal Tamang 21-9, 21-14 to enter the last-eight.

Commonwealth Games bronze medallist Sikki Reddy, who teamed up with Meghana, also had no problems as the duo hardly broke a sweat in their dominant 21-11, 21-10 victory over Maldives’ Neela Ahmed Najeeb and Maisa Fathuhulla Ismail.

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Promising Indian shuttler Aryaman Tandon, however, had to claw his way back after losing the first game to complete a 15-21, 21-14, 21-9 win over Pakistan’s Awais Zahid in men’s singles.

In men’s doubles, Krishna Prasad Garaga and Dhruv Kapila brushed aside the challenge of Bangladesh’s Shuvo Khandaker and Tushar Krishna Roy to register a 21-11, 21-13 win.

Kuhoo Garg and Anoushka Parikh, meanwhile, won their match over Bhutan’s Samjana Gurung and Phuntsho Choden Thingh when the latter retired while trailing 8-21, 0-11.

The only setback for India was the walkover given by the mixed doubles pair of Sumeeth Reddy and Sikki Reddy with the former falling ill.

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On Wednesday, men’s singles top seed Siril Verma and women’s singles top seed Ashmita Chaliha will start their respective campaigns from the quarter-finals.

On Monday, Indian men’s and women’s teams claimed respective gold medals, beating Sri Lanka in the final.

Indian men and women badminton team won Gold medal at @SAG_2019 @sikkireddy pic.twitter.com/ixqD9yGwOR

— Sports India (@SportsIndia3) December 3, 2019