Sindhu, Lakshya clinch singles titles; Treesa-Gayatri pair shines in doubles
Syed Modi International
Lucknow, Dec 1: Top seeded Indians P V Sindhu and Lakshya Sen showcased their class and dominance to clinch the women's and men's singles titles, respectively, at the Syed Modi International badminton tournament here on Sunday.
Sindhu, a two-time Olympic medallist, ended her long title drought by outplaying China's world number 119 Wu Luo Yu 21-14, 21-16 to lift the trophy for the third time, having previously triumphed in 2017 and 2022.
In the men's singles final, Lakshya, a 2021 World Championships bronze medallist, was at his dominant best as he demolished Singapore's Jia Heng Jason Teh 21-6, 21-7 in the title clash, displaying complete command over the match.
Sindhu's victory marks her return to the top of the podium after over two years, with her last title win coming at the Singapore Open in July 2022. The world number 18 also reached the finals of the Malaysia Masters Super 500 earlier this year.
Lakshya's win comes as a balm after a disappointing loss in the bronze-medal playoff at the Paris Olympics. The victory will undoubtedly boost his confidence ahead of the new season.
Indian badminton had more to celebrate on the day as the women's doubles pair of Treesa Jolly and Gayatri Gopichand clinched their maiden Super 300 title with a convincing 21-18, 21-11 win over China's Bao Li Jing and Li Qian.
The result made Treesa and Gayatri the first Indian women's doubles team to win the title at this tournament. The Commonwealth Games bronze medallists, who had finished runners-up in 2022, went one step further this year with their solid performance.
In the men's doubles final, Pruthvi Krishnamurthy Roy and Sai Pratheek K put up a valiant fight before going down 14-21, 21-19, 17-21 to China's Huang Di and Liu Yang in a marathon 71-minute clash.
Meanwhile, in the mixed doubles final, fifth seeds Tanisha Crasto and Dhruv Kapila started strong but couldn't sustain their momentum, losing 21-18, 14-21, 8-21 to Thailand's sixth-seeded pair of Dechapol Puavaranukroh and Supissara Paewsampran.
Sindhu vs Wu
Sindhu was up 8-5 in the opening game and despite some resistance from Wu, the Indian managed to secure a two-point lead at 11-9. Sindhu changed gears after the break, surging to 15-10 and then kept a firm grip on the rallies to comfortably close out the opening game.
Sindhu opened strongly, racing to a 3-0 lead, but Wu quickly levelled the score and matched the Indian point-for-point till 10-10. The Chinese left-hander troubled Sindhu with precise drops, earning a slender 11-10 lead at the break.
After resumption, Sindhu shifted gears, drawing errors from Wu and regaining control with a 14-11 lead courtesy of a sharp straight smash. A bodyline smash further extended her lead to 15-11, as Wu misjudged the length on several occasions.
Sindhu's disguised forehand return at a crucial juncture brought her closer to victory, earning her four match points. She sealed the title with a powerful smash, capping off a dominant performance.
Lakshya vs Jia
Lakshya, 23, was in a hurry to wrap up the proceedings, storming to a massive 8-0 lead early in the first game. Lakshya's fast-paced game left Teh struggling, with the Singaporean committing a series of unforced errors.
Two aggressive returns helped Teh claim a couple of points, but Lakshya quickly regained control, securing seven game points at the interval. The Indian then won nine of the next 10 points to wrap up the first game in quick time.
Lakshya maintained his relentless attack in the second game, racing to a commanding 10-1 lead at the mid-game interval. Teh, demoralized and unable to match Lakshya's pace and precision, found himself on the backfoot throughout.
The Indian extended his lead to 15-5, and even when Teh tried to mount a comeback with a flurry of strokes, Lakshya's impeccable defense and fitness shone through. At 16-7, the Indian showcased his versatility, mixing powerful down-the-line smashes with cross-court net shots to reach 20-7.
The match ended with Teh sending a shot long, handing Lakshya his first Syed Modi International title.
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Siddaramaiah, I will abide by Cong high command decision on leadership issue, says Shivakumar
Bengaluru (PTI): Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister D K Shivakumar on Sunday said both he and Chief Minister Siddaramaiah will abide by any decision takeb by the Congress high command on the leadership issue in the state.
Speaking to reporters after returning from Delhi, the Congress state president said, he has full faith in the party leadership and that it would take an approapriate decision at the appropriate time.
The remarks comes amid speculations within the party and political circles about a possible leadership change and cabinet reshuffle after May 4, when the results for assembly elections in four states and one union territory, along with bypolls to two assembly segments in the Karnataka are announced.
"I will not speak about political issues before the media. I have already said that when the time comes you will get to know. So I will not tell you," Shivakumar said in response to a question on discussions with the Congress high command during his Delhi visit over the last couple of days.
He asserted that there are no issues within the party, and whatever has been already decided will take place accordingly.
Responding to a question on senior Minister Satish Jarkiholi's reported statement about internal differences, the Deputy CM said, "nothing like that, they (high command) will do what they have to do at the appropriate time."
"There are no issues, we have faith in our party, they will do what they have to," he added.
Asked about the issue of leadership change as the government is about to complete three years in office, Shivakumar said, "... I have never discussed this issue. The CM and I have both said that we will accept whatever and whenever the high command decides, and we will abide by it."
He declined to comment when asked whether any "good news" can be expected by his birthday on May 15.
The leadership tussle within the ruling party has intensified amid speculation about a possible change of chief minister after the Congress government completed the halfway mark of its five-year term on November 20, 2025. The speculation has been fuelled by the reported "power-sharing" arrangement between Siddaramaiah and Shivakumar at the time of government formation in 2023.
Responding to a question on the BJP's criticism against the Congress government over its decision on internal reservation for Scheduled Castes, alleging injustice to several communities and questioning its intent behind the revised quota formula, Shivakumar said the BJP could not do anything on internal reservation while in power, but the Congress has kept its promise.
"We have found a solution and tried to do justice to all sections among SCs. We have fulfilled the promise made and every one should go together," he said.
Shivakumar warned his party workers against erecting flex banners for his birthday on May 15.
"For May 15, I want to tell everyone that no one should put up flex banners or advertisements for my birthday. If flex are installed I will ensure that cases are registered by authorities against those responsible, whether they are party workers or followers....no one should put such things on roads, this is my personal request," he said, adding that he has asked commissioners of the city corporations to register cases and impose heavy fines.
