IBL: Youngsters to catch the eye

Pune Pistons’ Ashwini Ponnappa. (Getty Images)

If Pune Pistons made the semi-finals of the IBL, it was in large measure due to the solidity of the Joachim Fischer-Ashwini Ponnappa combination. Ashwini is well known for her hard hitting, but the Bangalore girl has also developed in other departments.

Against Pradnya Gadre and Shem Goh, for instance, Ashwini was all over the net, using the hairpin shot and the tap effectively, and outplayed her opposite number Gadre. Ashwini’s smash is a potent weapon, and is crucial in mixed doubles, for it gives the combination an edge. Her defence has also improved remarkably – with a good partner, she can aim for the biggest prizes in world badminton.

About the author

Dev S Sukumar is the recipient of the Badminton World Federation (BWF) Media Award, 2011. He is India's most widely travelled badminton writer, having covered several international tournaments, including the Olympics, the Asian Games, the CWG Games, World Championships, the All England, the Denmark Open, the Malaysia Open, etc. He has covered badminton for over ten years now. During this period he has met fascinating characters, witnessed great matches, and has authored a biography of Indian badminton great Prakash Padukone. He has written on the game for several publications, including Sports Illustrated, Mint, Badminton Asia magazine, The New Indian Express, Hindustan Times, DNA and IANS.
He tweets at twitter.com/shuttlemania

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Edited by Staff Editor