Driving Naari Programme launched in Chandigarh
Singapore: Commonwealth Games champion Parupalli Kashyap and young H S Prannoy registered contrasting wins in the men’s singles to enter the second round of the Singapore Open Super Series badminton tournament, here on Wednesday.
Kashyap, who won the Syed Modi Grand Prix Gold in January this year, brushed aside Korea’s Lee Hyun Il 21-11 21-13 to set up a match with fourth seed Son Wan Ho of Korea, while Indonesia Masters champion, Prannoy beat Hong Kong’s Wong Wing Ki Vincent 21-15 21-17 in another match.
Former world championship bronze medallist pair of Jwala Gutta and Ashwini Ponnappa also got the better of Korean combo of Go Ah Ra and Yoo Hae Won 21-12 21-16 to reach the second round of women’s doubles competition.
However, it was curtains for R M V Gurusaidutt and P C Thulasi after they suffered defeats in the opening round of the men’s and women’s singles, respectively.
Gurusaidutt squandered a first-game advantage to go down fighting 21-16 12-21 15-21 to Son Wan Ho, while Line Kjaersfeldt of Denmark outclassed Thulasi 21-16 21-14 in a 35-minute match.
India’s mixed doubles combo of Tarun Kona and N Sikki Reddy, too, could not cross the first hurdle, going down 15-21 17-21 to fifth seeds Ko Sung Hyun and Kim Ha Na of Korea.
