Anupama Upadhyaya, 19, has already won the India International Challenge 2021, the Tajikistan International Series 2023, and the Polish Open in 2022.
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Anupama Upadhyaya, a former top junior badminton player, emerged victorious in the women’s singles category at the Kazakhstan International Challenge in Astana on April 6. Joining her in victory, Telangana’s M. Tharun claimed the men’s singles title at the same event. Anupama triumphed over Isharani Baruah from Assam in a final between two Indians, with a score of 21-15, 21-16, wrapping up the match in 41 minutes.
Upadhyaya’s win in Kazakhstan comes as another addition to her impressive track record which includes victories at the India International Challenge in 2021, the Tajikistan International Series in 2023, and the Polish Open in both 2022 and 2024. The Haryana talent showcased her skill, defeating challengers like Harshita Rout from India, Czech Republic’s Tereza Svabikova, India’s Devika Sihag, and Sorano Yoshikawa from Japan, to reach the ultimate match.
With a world ranking of 70, she glided through the competition with her excellent play. It is noteworthy that Anupama’s Kazakhstan win marked her second successive triumph in 2024, with the first being at the Polish Open in Warsaw, in March 2024. During the Polish Open, Anupama secured victory in an all-Indian final against Tanya Hemanth, with scores of 21-15, 11-21, and 21-10.
The semifinal also saw Indian dominance as she overpowered Imad Samiya with a 21-16, 21-14 result. Her path to the final included wins over Vanessa Garcia and Lo Sin Yan. In the men’s singles final at the same tournament in Kazakhstan, M. Tharun, aged 22, beat Malaysia’s eighth-seed Soong Joo Ven 21-10, 21-19 to earn his first senior circuit title, following a runners-up finish in the National Championships in December 2023.
Anupama Upadhyaya was born into a family passionate about sports. Her dad, a past cricket player, always hoped his kids would be into sports too. Anupama gave swimming a try, thinking she might turn it into a job someday. However, a coach pointed out that her height and physique weren’t ideal for a pro swimmer. Undaunted, at 9 years old, she switched to badminton, although someone warned her she was too skinny for the game. Still, Anupama wasn’t one to let critics steer her future.
Now, at 19, this promising badminton player was once the top junior player in the world, as per the Badminton World Federation (BWF). She took home the win as India’s National Badminton Champion in 2023 for women’s singles and represented her country at the Asian Games the same year. Sitting at 87th in the global senior ranks, Anupama’s got her sights set on breaking into the World Top 50. Her goals include competing in the 2026 Commonwealth Games and the 2028 Olympics in Los Angeles.
Anupama is happy to see women on the court, playing as hard and skillfully as the guys. She’s hopeful more young women will succeed in the world of sports. In her candid Health Shots “She Slays” interview, Anupama spills the details on her path, the hurdles she’s faced, her mental and physical health, and her ambitions.
Rising badminton star Anmol Kharb, along with four other players from India, made her way into the women’s singles quarterfinals at the Kazakhstan International Challenge. It was a big day for Indian players, as Anmol, Devika Sihag, former champion Anupama Upadhaya, Tanya Hemanth, and Isharani Baruah all made it to the top eight. Anmol, who helped India win a historic team gold in February at the Badminton Asia Team Championships, defeated Nurani Ratu Azzahra from the UAE with impressive scores of 21-11, 21-7.
She’s now set to play against Japan’s Sorano Yoshikawa. Devika Sihag, on a winning streak with two titles this season, overcame Azerbaijan’s Keisha Fatimah Azzahra. Next, she’ll face Anupama, who won against Tereza Švábíková from the Czech Republic. Meanwhile, Tanya Hemanth beat Israel’s Ksenia Polikarpova and will next play against Isharani Baruah, who won her match against Tiffany Ho from New Zealand.
Sihag has made a name for herself this year, winning the Swedish Open and Portugal International, and she came close at the Estonian and Dutch Internationals. In mixed doubles, Indian duos Rohan Kapoor with Ruthvija Shivani Gadde, Abhyuday Choudhary with Vaishnavi Khadkekar, Sanjai Srivatsa with Dhanraj-Maneesha K, and Zhakuo Seyie with Alisha Khan, all clinched their spots in the quarterfinals as well.
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