Ashwini Ponnappa And Tanisha Crasto Paris Olympics 2024, Badminton: Know Your Olympian

Ashwini Ponnappa and Tanisha Crasto will represent India in the women’s badminton doubles event at the 2024 Paris Olympics. The duo decided to team up last year.

“We both love food. During one of our meals together, we discussed the idea of playing together. Our playing styles complement each other, and it was worth taking a chance,” Crasto said in an interview.

Ponnappa is a doubles specialist. The 34-year-old previously partnered with Jwala Gutta at the 2010 Commonwealth Games and secured the gold medal. She also won a mixed doubles gold at the South Asian Games in Dhaka in the same year.

Following the Rio Olympics in 2016, Ponnappa allied with N Sikki Reddy and won a bronze medal at the 2018 Commonwealth Games.

Meanwhile, Crasto, who was born in Dubai, started her career in Indian badminton in 2017. She teamed up with Aditi Bhatt in the Badminton Asia Junior U-17 and U-15 Championships.

Initially, Crasto aimed to secure the Paris Olympics quota in mixed doubles. She was forced to change her mind after her partner Ishan Bhatnagar sustained a knee injury during the national championship.

Age – Ashwini Ponnappa (34), Tanisha Crasto (21)

Sports/Discipline – Badminton (Women’s Doubles)

World Ranking – 19 (Women’s Doubles)

First Olympic Games – London 2012 (Ponnappa)/Paris 2024 (Crasto)

Major Achievements

Ashwini Ponnappa

Commonwealth Games: 2 Gold, 2 Silver & 1 Bronze

South Asian Games: 4 Gold

Tanisha Crasto

Badminton Asia Team Championships 2024: Gold

Paris Olympics Qualification

When Ponnappa and Crasto decided to team up, the Paris Olympics was only a year away. So, it was quite difficult for them to climb through the ranks and earn qualification. They finally claimed the quota as the 12th eligible pair in the Race to Paris rankings.

Recent Performances

Ponnappa and Crasto competed together for the first time at the Hong Kong Open last year. They reached the quarter-finals of the Super 500 event which gave them a huge confidence boost. The duo last featured at the Indonesia Open in June this year. They lost in the Round of 16 to a South Korean pair.

Event Date and Time

Badminton Women’s Doubles – July 27 to August 3

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