Malvika Bansod of Nagpur is now India's No. 1 Female Shuttler

By: WE Staff | Saturday, 5 November 2022

Malvika Bansod, a shuttler from Nagpur who competes internationally, has added another achievement to her portfolio by topping the Badminton Association of India's women's singles list. Malvika is in first place in the women's singles category with a score of 1,275 overall.

Her fiercest adversary Aakarshi Kashyap (925) and Tara Shah (825) are in second and third place, respectively, behind her. Malvika's stroke-play, grace, and sense of style helped her rise to the top of the Indian women's badminton rankings.

The top shuttler has surpassed the second place she previously held in the most recent rankings released by the Badminton Association of India (BAI).

She had been India's No. 2 since 2019, but because of COVID, there were no competitions, therefore the players remained stationary in their positions. Her most recent victory at the VV Natu Memorial All India Senior Ranking Badminton Tournament in Pune on Sunday enabled her accumulate those necessary points to advance one rung.

Malvika Bansod, who hails from Nagpur, is currently enjoying in that kind of international attention after starting her journey at the top spot.

Malvika is currently ranked 39th in the world according to the rankings published by the Badminton World Federation (BWF). Malvika is ranked third among Indian athletes in the BWF rankings, after Saina Nehwal and P. V. Sindhu.

Aakarshi Kashyap (44) and Ashmita Chaliha (57th) are the people that come after Malvika.

She was India's top performer in the Under-19 division. The transition of Malvika from junior to senior level was electrifying. On her debut, she won gold medals at the Maldives International and Nepal International. She selected the Italian International bronze, Syed Modi Super 300 silver, Lithuanian International gold, Odisha Open Super 100 bronze, and Bahrain International bronze. In the Uber Cup, Malvika played for India and guided the squad to the quarterfinals. She was also the team's captain at the Sudirman Cup.

Malvika beat the Indian legend in the local or international circuit for the first time since 2007 early in the year, becoming just the second Indian player to do so after PV Sindhu.

On Wednesday, Malvika won her first-round match in the Hylo Open Super 300 Saarbrucken in Germany, taking the top spot. In three gruelling matches, she defeated Spain's Clara Azurmendi, who was rated 36 in the BWF. Malvika came back strong to defeat the higher-ranked opponent after trailing 20–22 in the opening game, winning the following games 21–12 and 21–6. 50 minutes passed during the conflict.

The top seed is Carolina Marin of Spain, while notable Indian competitors include Saina and Aakarshi Kashyap. Malvika has incredible career chances in the elite world of athletics, but what will benefit her the most is her comfort and ability as a left-handed player.