Sankar storms into final

Santander (Spain), October 29

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India’s Sankar Muthusamy booked his place in the men’s Under-19 singles final in badminton’s Junior World Championships after a clinical straight-game win over Thailand’s Panitchaphon Teeraratsakul here today.

Seeded fourth, Muthusamy showed great athleticism and tactical acumen to outwit Teeraratsakul 21-13 21-15 in a 40-minute match.

In the final on Sunday, Muthusamy will take on the winner of the other semifinal between Chinese Taipei’s Kuo Kuan Lin and South Korea’s Byung Jae Kim.

Muthusamy, a former junior world No. 1, had won a tough quarterfinal contest against China Hu Zhe An but he showed no signs of fatigue today as he brilliantly controlled the rallies against his Thai opponent.

Muthusamy is aiming to become only the second Indian after 2008 winner Saina Nehwal to be crowned a junior world champion. Siril Verma came close to claiming the title in 2015 but lost the final against Chinese Taipei’s Chia Hung Lu. India has won one gold, three silver and five bronze medals in the history of this tournament, with Lakshya Sen bagging the last medal, a bronze, in 2018. Aparna Popat (1996) and Saina (2006, 2008) are the other Indians to have reached the final in the past.