JAIPUR: Himani Punia from Jaipur excelled in the Yonex-Sunrise Indian Masters Veterans Badminton Championship 2023 held recently in Goa.
In-form Himani Punia won one gold and one silver medal to stamp her authority in style at the annual tournament, organized by the Goa Badminton Association under the auspices of Badminton Association of India (BAI).
In the women's singles 40 plus final, Himani defeated Manisha Singh from Chhattisgarh 21-16, 21-17 to clinch the gold medal. Both the games were well-contested, but Himani kept her composure in the crunch situation to seal the title in straight games.
Himani started off well and took a handy lead in the first game. She then maintained her lead to claim the opening game 21-16.
The second game was almost a replay of the first game. However, Chhattisgarh's Manisha Singh put up a better performance to give a tough fight to Himani. Despite the resistance, Himani kept her cool to seal the fate of her opponent.
Himani also had a chance to bag the double crown. However, she had to be satisfied with the silver medal in the doubles. In the women's doubles 40 plus category, Himani teamed up with Nallia Gandhi from Tamil Nadu to win the silver medal.
With this brilliant show, Himani has secured her place in the Indian team for the World Masters Championship scheduled to be held in South Korea. Expressing her happiness on this achievement, Himani said, "I am really happy with my performance in Goa. Reaching two finals and winning one of them was a splendid achievement. I am excited to participate in the championship in South Korea. I hope to perform well at the international level as well."
The secret of Himani's success is her regular practice and focus on fitness.
"Besides Jaipur, I also train in Gurugram. I want to thank my coaches for all the support and guidance. I will work hard so that I can perform even better in South Korea," added Himani.
