India’s Ashwini Ponnappa and Tanisha Crasto’s Olympic hopes suffered a major setback as they succumbed to a second consecutive defeat in the women’s doubles badminton competition at the Paris Olympics. The Indian duo fell 11-21, 12-21 to the world number four Japanese pair of Nami Matsuyama and Chiharu Shida in a 48-minute Group C encounter.
Ponnappa and Crasto, ranked 19th in the world, had earlier lost their opening match against South Korea’s Kim So Yeong and Kong Hee Yong. The two top-ranked pairs from each group qualify for the quarterfinals, leaving the Indians facing an uphill battle to advance.
“A bit disappointed because this was the only shot we had for a chance to get to the quarters,” Ponnappa said after the match. “Not the way we wanted to play but they were very strong. I wish we had given them a better fight. We have one more match and hope we can win that.”
The Japanese duo dominated the match from the outset, taking control of the first game with a 4-0 lead. The Indians struggled to keep pace, with Crasto netting a long rally and Ponnappa’s smash proving insufficient to challenge the Japanese.
The second game followed a similar pattern, with the Japanese racing to a 7-1 lead. Crasto’s finger injury further hampered the Indians’ efforts, and the Japanese duo’s quick court coverage and effective combination of power and placement proved too much for the Indian pair.
Despite the setback, Ponnappa and Crasto remain determined to finish their Olympic campaign on a high note. “There’s a lot to take away,” Crasto said. “It builds my confidence as we are playing at such a high level and giving fight to each and every pair. It takes a lot of courage and confidence to play here in front of so many people. It’s not over for us yet, hopefully we will be able to pull through.”
The Indians will face Australia’s Setyana Mapasa and Angela Yu in their final group game, with a victory essential to keep their Olympic hopes alive.
