Indian shuttlers Anupama, Tharun win Kazakhstan International Challenge

Indian badminton players Anupama Upadhyaya and Tharun Mannepalli clinched the women's and men's singles titles respectively at the Kazakhstan International Challenge tournament in Uralsk.Nineteen-year-old Anupama, hailing from Almora, secured her second consecutive title by defeating compatriot Isharani Baruah 21-15, 21-16 in a 41-minute final. Anupama, who recently triumphed at the Polish International challenge, showcased her skills throughout the week, overcoming opponents like Harshitaa Rout, Tereza Svabikova, Devika Sihag and Sorano Yoshikawa on her way to the final. Notably, Anupama, a former junior world No. 1, has previously won titles at the India International Challenge in 2021, Polish Open (2022 and 2024) and Tajikistan International Series in 2023.In the men's singles category, 22-year-old Tharun, who finished as the runner-up at the senior national championships in Guwahati last December, secured his maiden international title by defeating eighth-seeded Malaysian Soong Joo Ven 21-10, 21-19. Tharun displayed commendable performance throughout the tournament, defeating competitors like Gagan Balyan, S Sankar Muthusamy, Dmitriy Panarin and Le Duc Phat on his way to the final.However, in the mixed doubles final, the Indian duo of Sanjai Srivatsa Dhanraj and Maneesha K faced a defeat, losing 21-9, 7-21, 12-21 against Malaysia's Wong Tien Ci and Lim Chiew Sien.(With PTI inputs)