GUWAHATI: Indian badminton player Ashmita Chaliha created history on Sunday by becoming the first Indian to win the Korea Masters 2026 badminton tournament, defeating China’s Han Qianxi 14-21, 21-14, 21-14 in the women’s singles final.
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The 26-year-old Assam shuttler rallied from a game down to claim her maiden BWF World Tour title at the Super 300 tournament. The victory also marked her first appearance in a BWF World Tour final.
Chaliha started strongly and opened up a 9-5 lead in the opening game, but fourth-seeded Han responded with a five-point run to take control and win the game. The Indian bounced back in the second, building leads at the intervals to force a decider.
She maintained her composure in the third game and converted her opportunities to complete the victory in 53 minutes.
Chaliha had earlier defeated Japan’s top seed Hina Akechi in the quarter-finals before overcoming compatriot Rakshitha Ramraj in the semi-finals to reach the final.
Her triumph gives India back-to-back women’s singles titles on the BWF World Tour after Tanvi Sharma won the Taipei Open earlier this month.
Chaliha is also the fourth Indian woman to win a BWF World Tour singles title this year, joining PV Sindhu, who won the Japan Open, Devika Sihag, who claimed the Thailand Masters, and Tanvi Sharma, who triumphed at the Taipei Open.
Chaliha had also reached the semi-finals of the Macau Open in June.
Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty are the other Indian winners on the BWF World Tour this year, having won the men’s doubles title at the Singapore Open in May.