Hyderabad: In a thrilling display of grit and tactical precision, second-seeded duo Diya Bheemaiah and Baruni Parshwal clinched the Girls’ Doubles crown at the Kotak Junior International Badminton Tournament recently, concluding a high-octane week of action at Hyderabad.
The Indo-pair held their nerve in a nerve-wracking, three-game final to edge past the third-seeded tandem of Lakshmi Devineni and Ananya Manikandan with a 21-18, 14-21, 22-20 scoreline.
Match Summary
First Game (21-18): Diya and Baruni set the tempo early with crisp net exchanges and disciplined court coverage, securing the opening set after fending off late pressure.
Second Game (14-21): Devineni and Manikandan countered aggressively, capitalising on unforced errors to level the match and force a decider.
Decider (22-20): Locked in a neck-and-neck battle, Diya and Baruni staged a resilient fightback in the closing moments, saving crucial points to seal the title on extra points.
Diya, who hones her skills at the prestigious National Centre of Excellence (NCoE) in Guwahati under the guidance of renowned coach Ivan Sozonov, demonstrated sharp defensive transitions and sharp attacking flair throughout the tournament. The Russian Olympian’s tactical imprint was evident in how the pair maintained composure under intense pressure during the tense final rallies.
Diya is the daughter of Boppanda Bheemaiah and K.K. Kusuma (Kambiranda), residents of Mysuru. This championship win marks another significant milestone for Diya as she continues her upward trajectory on the junior international circuit, raising expectations for her to scale even greater heights and keep the tricolour flying high on global stage.
This post was published on August 28, 2026 7:30 pm