On Wednesday, Indian athletes Sathish Kumar Karunakaran and Ayush Shetty advanced to the second round of the Hylo Open 2024 in Saarbrucken, Germany. Sathish Kumar, the seventh seed in this BWF Super 300 event, fought through a grueling match against compatriot Chirag Sen. After dropping the first set, Sathish rallied back to win with scores of 20-22, 24-22, and 21-17 in a contest that lasted over an hour.
The 23-year-old Sathish Kumar showed great resilience by saving a match point in the second game to stay alive. With the score tied at 10-10 in the final set, he dominated the closing stretch with eight straight points to clinch the win. He will now face Harry Huang from England, who secured his own spot in the round of 16 by defeating former junior world No. 1 Sankar Subramanian (19-21, 21-11, 21-11).
Ayush Shetty, who earned a bronze at last year's Junior World Championships, cruised to victory over Finland's Joakim Oldorff with a convincing 21-12, 21-17 win. The 19-year-old will next take on Italy's Giovanni Toti in the next round.
It wasn't a perfect day for India, as Tharun Mannepalli was knocked out after a close battle with Austria's Collins Valentine Filimon, losing 21-19, 21-19. Similarly, in the women's singles, qualifier Keyura Mopati fell to Denmark's Anna Siess Ryberg in straight sets, 21-8, 21-12.
Sathish Kumar Karunakaran also stepped onto the court for mixed doubles alongside Aadya Variyath. The fourth-seeded pair managed a victory over Scotland's Adam Pringle and Rachel Andrew, winning 21-14, 11-21, 13-21. Meanwhile, the sixth seed in women's singles, Malvika Bansod, is set for a Thursday clash against Denmark's Irina Amalie Andersen in the round of 16.
Notably absent from this year's tournament are PV Sindhu, a two-time Olympic medalist, and Lakshya Sen, who reached the Paris 2024 Olympic semi-finals and was the last Indian to claim the Hylo Open title back in 2019.
The BWF's 'Shuttle Time' initiative is designed to make badminton accessible to every child throughout their lives. In some cases, this program acts as a springboard, helping kids reach the sport's highest peaks, including the Olympic Games. Two great examples from Paris 2024 are Tanisha Crasto of India and Uriel Francisco Canjura Artiga from El Salvador. For Artiga, the journey began on a humble dirt court behind his mother's house in rural El Salvador.
With the help of his stepfather, who is active in the badminton community, Artiga participated in weekly Shuttle Time sessions. Driven by a desire for growth, the 15-year-old eventually moved to the capital to pursue professional training at the National Institute of Sports.
Tanisha Crasto's path was different; raised in Dubai by Indian parents, she picked up a racket at age five while visiting her father's club. Her natural talent led her to win local titles and eventually get noticed through the BWF Shuttle Time program in Dubai, just as the city was preparing for the 2014 World Super Series Finals.
Artiga recalls the early days fondly: 'We played on a dirt court where my mom and stepfather would paint the lines with white ash every morning. Playing there actually helped me—it toughened me up and improved my leg strength and footwork,' he explained.
Reflecting on her start, Crasto said, 'Winning local tournaments in Dubai showed people I had potential. Thanks to Shuttle Time Dubai, I had the chance to meet legends like Saina, Sindhu, Srikanth, and Peter Gade. It was a dream come true to interact with world-class athletes so early on.'