Indian Badminton Stars Treesa-Gayatri and Unnati Hooda Shine at Asian Games

Indian shuttlers Treesa Jolly and Gayatri Gopichand, along with singles player Unnati Hooda, have advanced to the quarterfinals of the Asian Games after defeating higher-ranked opponents. Treesa and Gayatri secured their spot in the last eight by beating the Japanese World Number 3 pair, Yuki Fukushima and Mayu Matsumoto, with a score of 24-22, 21-18 in the Round of 16. This follows their recent bronze medal win at the World Championships in Delhi and their earlier win against the same Japanese duo during the team event. Meanwhile, Unnati Hooda overcame World Number 6 Putri Kusuma Wardani 21-19, 21-13 in the singles event. Unnati achieved this victory despite having played an exhausting 80-minute match earlier against Malaysia's Wong Chin Lin, which she won 21-14, 20-22, 21-19, leaving her just a three-hour turnaround before facing Wardani. Courtside coach Guru Saidutt praised Unnati's exceptional grit and mental strength, noting her determination to keep the shuttle in play even when physically exhausted.