17-yr-old Unnati from Rohtak stuns double Olympic medallist Sindhu at China Open
in the pre-quarterfinals. Hooda prevailed 21-19, 19-21, 21-13, ending Sindhu's campaign and sealing a quarter-final berth where she will face Japan's Akane Yamaguchi.
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The all-Indian round of 16 clash was a gritty, seesaw battle. Hooda edged the opening game 21-19 with bold net play and sharp counter-attacks. Sindhu hit back to level the match 21-19 in the second, but the decider was one-way traffic as Hooda accelerated decisively to claim it 21-13.
Hooda hails from Chamaria village in Rohtak. She began playing badminton at the age of seven, inspired and supported by her father Upkar Hooda, a badminton enthusiast, who enrolled her at the Chhotu Ram Stadium Badminton Academy.
According to coach Pravesh Kumar, she started with "gali badminton" and quickly graduated to winning district-level titles after a brief period of formal coaching. Seeing a bright future in badminton, Upkar, her father, quit his regular job in a govt college to fulfil the dream of his daughter, who then started playing at the state level.
Her journey with Sindhu also has a symbolic beginning: the first time they met was when Hooda clinched gold at the JBC Cup in Delhi, where Sindhu was the chief guest and presented her with the medal.
Later, Hooda was part of the Uber Cup 2022 Indian squad, which Sindhu led. She cleared her Class 12 CBSE board exams this year, and her father is currently accompanying her in China.
Talking to TOI, Upkar Hooda, who is currently in China with his daughter, said that Unnati's rise came during the Covid period when everyone was locked inside. His daughter did not miss even a single day, but they finished their training before the break of the day in the dark at the stadium and later played matches indoors without catching the attention of authorities. "We maintained social distance and all necessary precautions but did not miss any single day.
Unnati kept growing, and today is a big day for the family as she beat her idol PV Sindhu in the China Open series."
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