India’s Anmol Kharb Wins Second Consecutive Title with Polish International Triumph

India’s rising badminton sensation, Anmol Kharb, secured her second straight international title on Sunday, claiming the women’s singles crown at the Polish International 2024 in Lublin. The 17-year-old Kharb, ranked 165th in the world, delivered a masterful performance to defeat Switzerland’s Milena Schnider, ranked 141st, in straight sets, 21-12, 21-8, in a final that lasted just 33 minutes.

This victory adds to Kharb’s growing reputation as one of the most promising talents in Indian badminton. Just a week earlier, she captured her maiden international title at the Belgian International, a feat that catapulted her BWF ranking from 222nd to 165th. Her dominant run in Poland, where she did not drop a single game, further shows her rapid rise on the international circuit.

Kharb’s dominance throughout the Polish International was evident, as she breezed through each round without much resistance. Her campaign began with a straight-games victory over Denmark’s world No. 77 Amalie Schulz, winning 21-17, 21-16 in the round of 32. This victory was particularly impressive as Kharb had taken three games to defeat Schulz in the Belgian International final just days earlier.

In the following rounds, Kharb continued her dominance, beating world No. 201 Samanta Golubickaite of Lithuania 21-9, 21-17 in the round of 16 and then ousting Ukraine’s world No. 356 Sofiia Lavrova 21-12, 21-7 in the quarter-finals. In the semi-finals, Kharb comfortably dispatched Denmark’s Frederikke Lund, ranked 146th in the world, 21-15, 21-12 to set up her title clash with Schnider.

The final was a one-sided affair, with Kharb taking control from the outset and never allowing Schnider a foothold in the match. The Swiss shuttler, who had a higher world ranking than Kharb, was outplayed in every aspect of the game as Kharb completed a flawless tournament run.

Kharb’s recent success in Europe has made her one of the most exciting young players in Indian badminton. Her back-to-back titles at the Belgian and Polish Internationals are significant milestones in her burgeoning career. Just 17 years old, Kharb is proving to be a force to be reckoned with on the international stage, particularly with her ability to adapt and improve with each match.

Earlier this year, Kharb was pivotal in helping the Indian women’s team secure a historic gold medal at the 2024 Badminton Asia Team Championships in Malaysia. During that campaign, she produced stunning wins against top-ranked opponents, including Japan’s then-world No. 29 Natsuki Nidaira and Thailand’s world No. 45 Pornpicha Choeikeewong. 

Kharb’s success on the international stage builds on her impressive domestic performance last year when she became India’s women’s singles national champion at just 16 years of age.

In addition to Kharb’s triumph, there were other notable performances from Indian shuttlers at the Polish International. Lakshya Sharma, who celebrated his 19th birthday on Saturday, reached the semi-finals of the men’s singles event. Although he fell short of a place in the final, Sharma’s run was another positive sign for India’s growing pool of badminton talent.

In men’s doubles, the Indian pairs of Ishaan Bhatnagar-Sankar Prasad Udayakumar and PS Ravikrishna-Akshan Shetty both made it to the semi-finals, although they were knocked out by different opponents. The women’s doubles duo of Anagha Aravinda Pai and Ridhi Kaur Toor reached the quarter-finals, where their journey ended. India did not have any representation in the mixed doubles category.