Vaishnavi Reddy Jakka is punching big time on the badminton circuit. Only 15, the Hyderabad girl has bagged a bronze medal in the women’s category at the just concluded White Nights International Challenge at Gatchina in Russia where top players from 22 countries participated. She is the first girl from India to have gone that far in a women’s International Challenge tournament whose main draw she entered the hard way, sweating it through the qualifying event.
Vaishnavi Reddy Jakka
The tournament was undoubtedly Vaishnavi’s best so far, having beaten players much older to her. Her biggest scalp was Russian’s top player Natalia Perminova (Rio 2016 Olympian) in the pre-quarterfinal. Gritty Vaishnavi wrested the first game 21-19 and was leading the second 1-0 when the fourth seeded 25-year-old retired from the match. More hard work followed in the quarterfinal, where Vaishnavi fought tooth and nail to defeat another Russian, Anastasia Ronzhina, 18-21, 21-16, 21-12 in a 51-minute duel.
Vaishnavi’s run ended in the semifinal where she lost 16-21, 14-21 to defending champion Neslihan Yigit, Turkey’s top player. She earned a good amount of points and prize money ($925) to go with her bronze.
Two other Indians in the singles fray, Vaidehi Choudhari and Vrushali Gummadi, made it till the pre-quarterfinals. While the former fought valiantly before losing 19-21, 19-21 to top seed Beatriz Corrales of Spain, the latter went down to fifth seeded Frenchwoman Delphine Lansac 21-10, 12-21, 15-21 after a 51-minute fight.
Another Indian, Mugdha Agrey, also punched hard before losing her first round match 20-22, 21-23 to Kristin Kuuba of Estonia. Last week, Vaishnavi had bagged three Under 19 titles — one singles and two doubles — in Russia and Mongolia while finishing runner-up in another singles. That is set to propel her to the World U-19 top 30s. “The last three weeks have been quite a grind,” she says before crediting her fitness trainer. “I am grateful to strength and conditioning expert M. Srikanth Verma sir of Suchitra Academy at Hyderabad who kept my fitness levels at the required levels from Mongolia to Russia where I played around 30 matches in singles and doubles at a stretch in 20 days in three consecutive tournaments.”
Also, “the guidance and support of Praveen Raju sir has been helpful.”Vaishnavi also recounts the role of her coaches at the Banthongyord Badminton School in Thailand, where she trains. “I cannot forget the contribution of my coaches Phattapol Ngensrisuk, Sudket Prapakamol, Xie Zhihua and Kamala Tongkorn,” she said.
“I would also like to thank Badminton Association of India president Himanta Biswa Sarma and secretary Anup Narang ji for their support and encouragement,” Vaishnavi said.
The results
Women’s singles semifinal: Vaishnavi Reddy Jakka (India) lost to Neslihan Yigit (Turkey) 16-21, 14-21.
Quarterfinal: Vaishnavi Reddy Jakka (India) bt Anastasia Ronzhina (Russia) 18-21, 21-16, 21-12 (51 minutes).
Pre-quarterfinals: Vaishnavi Reddy Jakka (India) bt Natalia Perminova (4, Russia) 21-19, 1-0 — retired; Vaidehi Choudhari lost to Beatriz Corrales (1, Spain) 21-19, 21-19; Vrushali Gummadi (India) lost to Delphine Lansac (5, France) 21-10, 12-21, 15-21.
Second round: Vaishnavi Reddy Jakka (India) bt Julia Bitsoukova (Belarus) 21-8, 21-14; Vaidehi Choudhari bt Katia Normand (France) 21-9, 21-15; Vrushali Gummadi (India) bt Viktoriia Vorobeva (Q, Russia) 21-10, 14-21, 21-16.
n First round: Vaishnavi Reddy Jakka (India) bt Anastasiia Semenova (Russia) 18-21, 21-10, 22-20 (44 mins); Vaidehi Choudhari (India) — bye; Vrushali Gummadi (India) — bye; Mugdha Agrey (India) lost to Kristin Kuuba (Estonia) 20-22, 21-23.
Qualification rounds: Vaishnavi Reddy Jakka bt Yulia Vasilyeva (Russia) 21-16, 21-15; Vaishnavi Reddy Jakka Ilyana Filipchuk (Kazakhstan) 21-6, 21-12.
Women’s doubles second round: Vaishnavi Reddy Jakka/ Eshita Raju K (India) lost to Johanna Goliszewski/ Lara Kaepplein (2, Germany) 14-21, 15-21. First round: Vaishnavi Reddy Jakka/ Eshita Raju K (India) bt Anastasiia Boiarun/ Alena Iakovleva (Russia) 21-13, 16-21, 21-19.
