Key Points

In a gripping semifinal, Vennala Kalagotla fought valiantly against China's Liu Si Ya. Down 15-20 in the second game, the young Indian saved three match points to make it 18-20, but a crucial late error allowed Liu to close out the contest 21-15, 21-18.

On the other court, second seed Tanvi Sharma faced eighth seed Yin Yi Qing of China. After dropping the first game 13-21, Tanvi staged a spirited fightback in the second, racing to a 6-1 lead. However, Yin clawed her way back to level at 8-8, before pulling ahead to secure a 21-13, 21-14 win, leaving Tanvi with a well-earned bronze.

Earlier in the tournament, second seed Tanvi maintained her dominant form in the women's singles, defeating fifth seed Thalita Ramadhani Wiryawan of Indonesia 21-19, 21-14 in a swift 35-minute encounter. Tanvi has been in sublime touch throughout the tournament, securing all her wins in straight games so far.

Joining her in the last four is Vennala Kalagotla, who braved a strong challenge from Thailand's Janyaporn Meepanthong in a gripping 58-minute contest. Vennala took the opening game 21-18 with some sharp rallies, but Janyaporn fought back to edge the second 21-17, forcing the match into a decider. In the final game, Vennala pulled ahead in the closing stages, eventually sealing a 21-18, 17-21, 21-17 victory to earn her semifinal berth.

The competition is being held from July 18 to 27, and Tanvi Sharma, along with junior world number one men's pair of Bhargava Ram Arigela and Viswa Tej Gibburu, are leading the team.

The competition consists of two parts: India will be competing in both categories. The continental badminton championships serve as a significant stepping stone towards the BWF Junior World Championships, which will be held at the National Centre of Excellence in Guwahati later this year.

- ANI