Gaurab stands alone for Bangladesh in singles at Yonex-Sunrise Int’l Challenge

Bangladesh endured another challenging day at the Yonex-Sunrise Bangladesh International Challenge on Wednesday (17 December), with most of the home shuttlers exiting the tournament, particularly in the singles events.

After a mixed showing in the qualification rounds on the opening day, Bangladesh’s campaign lost further ground as several players were eliminated early. In both men’s and women’s singles, Akib Sulaiman and Shuvo Khandakar, who had progressed from their opening matches, were unable to advance beyond their second outings. Senior national players Aiman Ibne Jaman and Al-Amin Jumar also bowed out, while Nasima Khatun, despite a first-round win, failed to build on her momentum. The setbacks continued on Wednesday morning with the elimination of national champion Khandakar Abdus Sowad.

In an otherwise bleak day for the hosts, Gaurab Singh provided a rare bright spot, emerging as Bangladesh’s sole survivor in the singles draw. The three-time national champion from Sylhet advanced to the last 32 with a commanding straight-games win over Australia’s Pushkal Iru Sumalla, sealing the match 21-12, 21-12.

A smiling Gaurab expressed his delight after the victory, saying, “I am very happy to have won today. The international level is very high, and you never know who will play well on a given day.”

“One wins, another loses. I played well today, and that made the difference,” he added.

Reflecting on his recent progress, Gaurab disclosed that he had undergone three months of intensive training ahead of the SAFF Games. “I stayed disciplined, trained under a foreign coach and worked on playing at full speed. Earlier, I used to struggle after 16 or 17 points, but I have worked hard to improve that,” he said.

He also played down the relevance of rankings at this level. “Everyone here is good and mostly unfamiliar. All the opponents are new. Winning one round makes me feel better, and this victory will motivate me for the next matches. I will also play doubles today and try to do well. I want to give my best for the spectators and make my country proud,” Gaurab said.

Bangladesh’s difficulties extended to the doubles category, where brothers Sifat Ullah Galib and Mohammad Sibgat Ullah were eliminated by a Vietnamese pair in straight games, 21-15, 21-12, as the popular Chattogram duo struggled to find their rhythm.

With the tournament moving forward, Bangladesh’s hopes in the singles competition now rest entirely on Gaurab Singh.