Badminton Champ Ashwini Ponnappa Is All Set For Opener At Olympics 2024

Ashwini Ponnappa is set to compete in her third Olympics. After representing India in London 2012 and Rio 2016, she missed Tokyo 2020 but is back for the 2024 Olympics. This time, she teams up with her new partner, Tanisha Crasto. 

Ashwini Ponnappa Set To Face South Korean Duo in Olympics 2024 Opener

The Ponnappa/Crasto duo, currently ranked 19th in the world in women’s doubles, will face the World No. 8 South Korean pair of Kim So Yeong and Kong Hee Yong on July 27 in their first match of the Games. Following this, they will take on the Japanese World No. 4 pair, Nami Matsuyama and Chiharu Shida, and conclude the group stage with a match against Setyana Mapasa and Angela Wu.

In an interview with Inside Sports, Ashwini Ponnappa shared her approach to preparing for a prestigious event like the Olympics. "It's definitely about balancing your mindset and knowing how significant it is, as it only happens once every four years. It's also crucial not to overhype it and add too much pressure. That balance is something athletes need to manage because overhyping it can either be beneficial or detrimental."

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Moreover, Ashwani has been crowned with some excellent titles, a sincere sense of grit and gumption and some truly memorable moments throughout her career. Here's all you need to know about Ashwini Ponnappa. 

Who Is Ashwini Ponnappa?

Born in Karnataka, Ashwini’s father was a national hockey player. Ashwani's sport wasn't going to be that as she rooted with badminton over hockey and later started getting trained in the same.

Before you catch her next game, know 6 things about the Indian badminton doubles star Ashwini Ponappa that inspire us.

• Ashwini was the winner of Indian junior championships in 2001 as a 12-year old. Five years later, in 2007, her strong and cut-throat game smashed her opponents down at the court of the South Asian Games which brought her the Gold and lots of fans.

• In 2010, at the Commonwealth Games held in Delhi, Ashwini paired with Jwala Gutta clinched the Gold medal in the Women’s Doubles. Thereupon, they were known as the first Indian duo to grab a medal in that category at the event. Ashwini also won a silver in the Mixed Team event at the Games partnered with another.

• In 2011, Ashwini along with her partner Gutta launched an excellent match when they grappled a bronze medal at the World Championships in Copenhagen. Henceforth, their names were stamped in history as Indian doubles pair to stand on the podium at the marquee event after Prakash Padukone(1983).
• Glasgow Commonwealth Games held in 2014 added another silver medal on their collars. The duo continued winning Bronze medals in the Asian Games in Incheon and the Uber Cup in New Delhi in the same year
• In June 2015, Ashwini-Jwala duo earned their first and only title in the year, the Canada Open women’s doubles by defeating the top-ranked Dutch pair of Eefje Muskens and Selena Piek.
• 26-year-old Ashwini also participated in the inaugural edition of the Indian Badminton League. In 2015, she was chosen by Bengaluru Top Guns to represent their franchise in the Premier Badminton League (PBL).