(Sports Correspondent: Imran Sohail)
Ashmita Chaliha’s Semi-Final Exit Ends India’s Macau Open 2026 Campaign
India’s campaign at the Macau Open 2026 badminton tournament came to an end after Ashmita Chaliha lost her women’s singles semi-final match on Saturday.
Competing in a BWF Super 300 event, Ashmita Chaliha was defeated by South Korea’s Park Ga-eun in straight games, 21–17, 21–9, in a 38-minute contest at the Macao East Asian Games Dome.
The Indian shuttler, ranked 63rd in the world, made a strong start to the match and held an advantage during the opening game. However, Park Ga-eun staged a comeback to take control and secure the first game.
In the second game, the South Korean player maintained dominance from the beginning and closed out the match in straight sets.
This semi-final appearance marked only the second time Ashmita Chaliha has reached this stage on the BWF World Tour. She had earlier reached a semi-final at the 2024 Thailand Masters.
Chaliha has shown improved form in recent months, reaching back-to-back quarter-finals at the China Masters and Malaysia Masters following a recovery period earlier in the season.
With her exit, India’s singles, doubles, and overall campaign at the Macau Open 2026 has concluded.
In other results, India’s men’s singles players Tharun Mannepalli and Rounak Chouhan were eliminated in the pre-quarterfinals, while Anmol Kharb reached the women’s singles quarter-finals.
