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It turned out to be a Super Sunday for Malvika Bansod. The fastest-rising Indian shuttler reigned supreme in the RSL Lithuanian International Badminton tournament in Kaunas, Lithuania.
The four-day Future Series tournament was organized by the Lithuanian Badminton Federation.
Third seed Malvika Bansod outclassed Ireland's Rachael Darragh 21-14, 21-11 in the final to complete a dream week. 19-year-old Malvika Bansod dominated fourth seed Darragh in a 29-minute encounter.
Darragh, who is ranked 139 in the world, had stunned top seed Ksenia Polikarpova of Israel 23-21, 21-17 in the semi-finals. Ksenia was the highest-ranked player in the tournament, with a world ranking of 57. Bansod, who is ranked world No. 128, halted Darragh's winning streak in a one-sided summit clash.
The teenage southpaw used her speed and power to good effect to capture her fourth BWF senior title, which was her second honor of the year.
"I am now prepared for the bigger tournaments" - Malvika Bansod
In the semi-final, Malvika Bansod needed exactly 29 minutes to dismiss Anna Tatranova of France. Stamping her authority in style, Malvika downed the French player 21-13, 21-10 to enter the final.
Earlier this year in March, Malvika edged past her Indian counterpart Anupama Upadhyaya to win the Uganda International title. The in-form Nagpur shuttler also made it to the quarter-finals of the Austrian Open a couple of weeks ago.
Elated after the triumph in the Lithuanian International Badminton tournament, Bansod is now looking forward to bigger challenges in the future.
“I am delighted to win this tournament. I played with good consistency and was able to execute my game as per the plan. This is my second gold medal after winning at the Uganda International Series in March. I am now prepared for the bigger tournaments,” said Malvika Bansod after beating Darragh in the final.
The India No. 2 Malvika Bansod has been training under chief junior national coach Sanjay Mishra for the last two years at Raipur. Bansod, who is supported by Vishvaraj Infrastructure Ltd, didn't forget to mention the role of her mentors and coaches in her journey. She said:
“I want to thank my mentor, my guide and my coach Sanjay Mishra Sir for training me in such a challenging Covid-19 situation. I would like to thank all my practice partners and everyone at the Police Parade Academy, Raipur for all their efforts. It is God’s grace that in these tough pandemic times, I could participate in the tournament and perform well."
She also acknowledged the support of MBA president Arun Lakhani, the GoSports Foundation, TOPS and SRM University.
Before going for the tournament, Sanjay Mishra was confident about his ward’s strong performance.
“I was confident of a good show by Malvika. Prior to the tournament we had several excellent sessions at the Police Sports Complex and Union Club, Raipur. She lived up to my expectations. This title will not only increase her rankings but also boost her confidence for the season ahead,” said Sanjay Mishra.
