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Sports

Ashmita Chaliha stuns Han Qian Xi to clinch maiden BWF Tour title at Korea Masters

hellohimachalse@gmail.com 09 Aug 2026 2 hours ago

New Delhi: India’s Ashmita Chaliha delivered a gritty performance to clinch her maiden BWF World Tour title with a hard-fought victory over fourth seed Han Qian Xi of China in the women’s singles final of the Korea Masters Super 300 badminton tournament in Asan on Sunday, August 9.

The 26-year-old from Assam had suffered a career-threatening knee injury in Korea two years ago. She overcame a slow start and held her nerve in a thrilling decider to register a brilliant victory. After losing the first game, she made a sensational comeback to stun world No. 35 Han 14-21, 21-14, 21-14 in the final that lasted 53 minutes.

Her victory marks the consecutive BWF World Tour finals for Indians, with Tanvi Sharma having clinched the Taipei Open last Sunday. Ashmita opened up with a 3-0 start and took a 9-5 lead early in the game, but Han made a comeback to equal the score at 11-11.

The Chinese shuttler shifted gears and took control of the game, closing it comfortably to earn the advantage. Ashmita again made a strong start in the second game and attacked with much more authority. She used her smashes to put the Chinese shuttler under pressure and produced some sharp defensive returns.

The Indian shuttler led 11-8 at the interval and continued to dominate the rallies thereafter. Han struggled to close in on the lead, and Ashmita also maintained a comfortable advantage. She took a 17-10 lead and wrapped up the game 21-14, taking the match into the decider.

The final game was closely fought in the initial phase, with Ashmita moving to a 5-2 lead, but Han made a good comeback to edge ahead 11-9 at interval. Ashmita kept fighting and slowly turned the momentum in her favour. She took a one-point lead with a brilliant winner along the line, and extended it to 15-11 with some exceptional shots.

She continued to find the gaps in Han’s court and a cross-court winner took her lead to 19-14. The Chinese shuttler then sent her return wide, handing Ashmita the championship point, who won her first BWF World Tour title.

‘I feel really great and unbelievable’

After the match, Ashmita said that she feels really great and unbelievable, and is still trying to digest the win. The Indian further added now she is hungry to win more titles.

“In the first game, it was a little bit tricky because of the drift conditions, so I was not able to manage it… But in the second, the other side was more comfortable and there was less drift, so I was able to control it. And in the third, after 11 points, I changed again, so I was on the good side. I’m glad that I could pull off,” Ashmita said as quoted by PTI.

Ashmita underwent surgery and an extensive rehabilitation programme after suffering a medial meniscus tear in her right knee at the Korea Open in 2024. She made a return to competition in February of the following year and played 14 events.

In 2026, the Indian competed in a couple of events before taking three months to build the strength and fitness required to handle a full BWF calendar. She then enjoyed a strong comeback on the BWF Tour, qualifying for consecutive quarterfinals at the China Masters and Malaysia Masters, followed by a semifinal appearance at the Macau Open.

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