Hyderabad’s Sathish Kumar Karunakaran clinches KBA International Challenge title

Hyderabad: Sathish Kumar Karunakaran of A Zone Sports, one of Hyderabad’s biggest badminton academies, won the KBA Badminton International Challenge held in Bengaluru on Sunday.

In the final, 25-year-old Sathish, who trains under Indonesian coaches Fizal and Hendra at A Zone Sports, defeated his statemate Gnana Dattu.

Sathish, who was included in the Target Olympic Podium Scheme (TOPS) for the 2028 Games, once held a world ranking of 50 in men’s singles and 34 in mixed doubles. He also represented India at the World Junior Championships, besides competing in several international tournaments.