India at Paris Olympics: Ashwini Ponnappa and Tanisha Crasto lose opening match
India's Tanisha Crasto, right, and Ashwini Ponnappa play against South Korea's Kim So-yeong and Kong Hee-yong during their women's doubles badminton group stage match at the 2024 Paris Olympics, Saturday, July 27, in Paris, France. AP/PTI
Paris, Jul 28 (PTI) The Indian women's doubles pair of Ashwini Ponnappa and Tanisha Crasto began their Paris Olympics campaign with a loss in straight games to South Koreans Kim So Yeong and Kong Hee Yong in their Group C fixture here.
The Indian pair, which put up an inspired show in 2023 to qualify for the Games, went down 18-21 10-21 in a 44-minute match on Saturday.
The Indians made a bright start as Ponnappa and Crasto managed to stretch the Koreans in the opening game but struggled to maintain rhythm in the second, which was a one-sided affair.
The Indian pair will next meet the fourth seeds Chiharu Shida and Nami Matsuyama of Japan on Monday. PTI