India's Raksha clinches Bulgarian Junior Open Championship title

Raksha Kandasamy

India shuttler Raksha Kandasamy, 16, who won silver at the BWF All England Junior Badminton Championships in Birmingham, continued her fine form as she clinched the Bulgarian Junior Open Championship at Pazardzhik, Bulgaria, recently.

The Class XI student of Podar International CBSE (Nerul) defeated compatriot Naishaa Kaur Bhatoye 21-11, 21-9 in the final. Earlier, she got the better of Croatia's Jelena Buchberger 21-10, 21-14 in the semis. The title saw her BWF world junior rankings to rise from World No. 18 to No. 9.

Also Read: Silver lining for shuttler Raksha

The triumph came close on the heels of her silver medal finish at Birmingham, where she faced some odds. Playing back-to-back matches lasting over an hour affected her lower back and she felt drained out. "The past two weeks have been great. First, the silver in Birmingham, now a title in Bulgaria. Hopefully, I will continue this form," Navi Mumbai-based Raksha told mid-day from Bulgaria.