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Ludhiana shuttler Dhruv enters World C’ship quarterfinals
The World No 16 mixed doubles duo shocked the fifth-seeded Hong Kong pair Tang Chun Man and Tse Ying Suet on Thursday to seal their spot in the last eight
City’s shuttler Dhruv Kapila has scripted one of the biggest wins of his career at the World Badminton Championships in Paris on Thursday, entering the quarterfinals with his partner Tanisha Crasto.
In an enthralling match, the World No 16 mixed doubles duo shocked the fifth-seeded Hong Kong pair Tang Chun Man and Tse Ying Suet on Thursday to seal their spot in the last eight. The win secured by thrilling 19-21, 21-12, 21-15 score, in a 63-minute battle to storm into the quarterfinals, is being hailed as a breakthrough moment for the young Indian pair, which has been steadily rising in the international circuit.
For Dhruv, who has been training at Pullela Gopichand Academy for the last 15 years, the victory is the result of years of hard work and sacrifice. His father recalled how his passion for badminton was first nurtured by his grandfather and how the family made tough choices to support his dream. “From Punjab courts to the world stage, it’s been a long journey,” he said.
Dhruv’s career graph has been on the rise
Earlier this year, he and Tanisha broke into the world top 20 rankings, for the first time, currently sitting at No 16. The Ludhiana shuttler had already made a mark in 2019, winning gold medals in men’s doubles, mixed doubles and team events at the South Asian Games.
His coaches, including Pullela Gopichand, Manu Atri, Tan Kim Her, and Sumit Reddy, expressed delight at the win, calling it a testament to his perseverance and steady progress.
In their bid to secure a maiden World Championships medal, Dhruv and Tanisha will next fight with World Number 4 Malaysian pair Chen Tang Jie and Toh Ee Wei in the quarterfinals.
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