Sports

Gurung stuns Tamang in semis

Gurung stuns Tamang in semis

By Himalayan News Service

Jessica Gurung returns to Nangsal Devi Tamang during their seventh Pushpalal Memorial National Badminton Tournament match at the Itahari Badminton Club courts on Friday, May 11, 2018. Photo: THT

Itahari, May 11 Jessica Gurung of Jhapa came from a set down to stun Nepal No 1 woman shuttler Nangsal Devi Tamang in the semi-final of the seventh Pushpalal Memorial National Badminton Tournament here at the Itahari Badminton Club courts today. The ninth seeded young player Gurung lost the first set 14-21 before bouncing back strongly in the next two. She took the second set 21-15 and sealed the victory with a 21-16 win in third and final set. Gurung will face Tribhuvan Army Club shuttler Rashila Maharjan, who registered a 21-16, 21-17 win over Jhapa’s Sunaina Mukhiya in another semi-final match. The 14-year-old Maharjan will be the youngest champion if she can beat Gurung in Saturday’s final. Gurung made it a treble when she advanced to the women’s doubles and U-19 girls’ singles finals. She teamed up with Mukhiya in the women’s doubles and defeated TAC pair of Rashila Maharjan and Amita Giri 21-16, 17-21, 21-17 to enter the final. They will face TAC’s Nangsal and Anu Maya Rai, who beat Zest Badminton’s Jyoti Limbu and Dina Pun 21-10, 23-21. In U-19 girls’ singles category, Gurung set final date with Rashila Maharjan in a rematch of women’s singles championship match. Gurung defeated Birat Badminton’s Rose Pandey 21-9, 21-5, while Maharjan registered a 21-11, 21-16 victory over another Birat Badminton player Sima Rajbanshi. Also, Praful Maharjan and Rukesh Maharjan advanced to the U-19 boys’ singles final. Praful defeated Zest’s Sunil Joshi 21-18, 21-12, while Rukesh beat Sunsari Badminton Academy’s Pranish Singh Thakuri 21-13, 21-12. In men’s singles, TAC shuttler Ratnajit Tamang and Dipesh Dhami of Nepal APF Club advanced to the final. Tamang defeated Bikash Shrestha of Bhojpur 21-18, 21-15, while Dhami beat TAC’s Nabin Shrestha 14-21, 21-8, 21-15. Likewise, TAC pair of Tamang and Shrestha advanced to the men’s doubles final with a 21-14, 21-17 victory over Nepal Police Club’s Bishnu Katuwal and Jeevan Acharya. They will face APF duo of Dhami and Bijit Thapa Magar, who beat TAC’s Suroj Maharjan and Praful Maharjan 21-19, 21-18.