Top seed Rakshitha Sree Santhosh Ramraj and sixth seed Tushar Suveer reigned supreme at the Telangana India International Challenge at the Pullela Gopichand Badminton Academy in Hyderabad on Sunday.
Krishna Prasad Garaga and Pruthvi Krishnamurthy Roy claimed the men’s doubles crown. Sathish Kumar Karunakaran and Ashwini Ponnappa finished runners-up in mixed doubles, while Mei Sudo and Mai Tanabe (Japan) won the women’s doubles crown.
Bharat to meet Tushar and Rakshitha takes on Rujula in the finals of Telangana India
Sixth seed Tushar Suveer fought back from a game down to defeat 11th seed Bharat Raghav 15-21, 21-18, 21-19 in the all-Indian men’s singles final which lasted 58 minutes.
Tushar beat Ansh Negi 21-17, 21-13 in the pre-quarterfinals before overcoming top seed Kiran George 21-12, 21-17 in the last eight. He then defeated Hmar Lalthzuala 21-14, 21-19 in the semifinals. The title followed Tushar’s semifinal appearance at the India International Challenge in Bengaluru the previous week.
In women’s singles, top seed Rakshitha also recovered after losing the opening game to beat ninth-seeded compatriot Rujula Ramu 16-21, 21-15, 21-14 in 53 minutes.
Rakshitha defeated Mariia Golubeva 21-14, 21-15 in the round of 32 before overcoming Tanvi Reddy 18-21, 21-7, 21-14 in the pre-quarterfinals.
She then beat Adarshini Shri Boopathy Balaji 21-17, 21-11 in the quarterfinals and rallied past Adita Rao 19-21, 21-16, 21-12 in the last four.
Rakshitha had also won the Vietnam International Challenge women’s singles title earlier this year.
Top seeds Krishna Prasad Garaga and Pruthvi Krishnamurthy Roy secured the men’s doubles title with a 21-12, 21-18 win over fifth seeds Sai Pratheek K and Ruban Kumar Rethinasabapathi in 34 minutes.
The eventual champions opened with a straight-game victory over Weeraphat Phakjarung and Tanupat Viriyangkura before beating Pavan Suresh and Punith Suresh in three games.
The Indians defeated Ashith Surya and Ganesh Vittalji in the quarterfinals, then Malaysia’s Lau Yi Sheng and Lee Yi Bo in the semifinals.
India’s Sathish Kumar Karunakaran and Ashwini Ponnappa finished runners-up in mixed doubles after Rodion Alimov and Alina Davletova won the final 19-21, 21-11, 21-13 in 50 minutes.
It was the first final of the 2026 BWF season for Ashwini Ponnappa, who is a three-time Olympian. Ashwini had partnered Aaryan Sapiah at the Denmark Challenge and Valence Alpes International earlier this year, exiting in the round of 32 at both tournaments.
She subsequently competed alongside Sathish at the Indonesia Masters in Pontianak and Turkiye International Challenge, reaching the quarterfinals at the latter. Her campaign in Bengaluru also ended in the last eight.
Japan’s Mei Sudo and Mai Tanabe, seeded fifth, claimed the women’s doubles title after defeating Thailand’s top seeds Phattharin Aiamvareesrisakul and Sarisa Janpeng 21-11, 21-11 in 40 minutes.
Results (finals): Men’s singles: 6-Tushar Suveer beat 11-Bharat Raghav 15-21, 21-18, 21-19.
Men’s doubles: 1- Krishna Prasad Garaga and Pruthvi Krishnamurthy Roy beat 5-Sai Pratheek K / Ruban Kumar Rethinasabapathi 21-12, 21-18.
Women’s singles: 1-Rakshitha Sree Santhosh Ramraj beat 9-Rujula Ramu 16-21, 21-15, 21-14.
Women’s doubles: Mei Sudo / Mai Tanabe (Japan) beat Phattharin Aiamvareesrisakul / Sarisa Janpeng (Thailand) 21-11, 21-11.
Mixed doubles: Rodion Alimov and Alina Davletova beat Sathish Kumar Karunakaran / Ashwini Ponnappa 19-21, 21-11, 21-13.
