Guwahati, Aug 9: After etching her name in Indian badminton history, Assam shuttler Ashmita Chaliha said she was still trying to come to terms with her landmark Korea Masters triumph, while crediting South Korean coach Park Tae-sang for transforming her game and mentality.
“I feel really great and like unbelievable. But then I'm trying to digest,” Chaliha said after becoming the first Indian to win the BWF Super 300 tournament.
The 26-year-old from Assam had come from a game down to defeat fourth seed Han Qian Xi of China 14-21, 21-14, 21-14 in Sunday’s women’s singles final, securing the biggest title of her career.
The left-hander said she was unaware that no Indian had previously won the Korea Masters.
“I didn't know. I feel blessed. I feel blessed and thank you to everyone for supporting me back home. And I'm hungry for more,” she said.
Chaliha said adapting to the playing conditions proved crucial after she lost the opening game.
“The first set was a little bit tricky because of the drift condition. So, I was not able to manage it. But then second set, the other side is more comfortable and there was less drift, so I was able to control it. And when the third set reached 11 points, I changed again. So, I was on the good side. I'm glad that I could pull it off,” she said.
The title marks a major milestone in the Assam shuttler’s career after years of promise, setbacks and perseverance.
A former champion at the Dubai International Challenge and Tata Open India International Challenge in 2018, Chaliha also won the women’s singles gold medal at the 2019 South Asian Games and was part of India’s gold medal-winning team at the 2024 Badminton Asia Team Championships.
Injuries, however, repeatedly interrupted her progress. Her biggest setback came in 2024 when she suffered a meniscus tear in her right knee during the Korea Open. The injury required surgery and kept her out of action for several months just as she was beginning to establish herself on the international circuit.
After returning to competition this year, Chaliha resumed training at the National Centre of Excellence (NCoE) at Amingaon in Assam under former South Korea international Park Tae-sang.
The partnership has already produced significant results, with Chaliha reaching the semifinals of the Macau Open and the quarterfinals of the Malaysia Masters before securing her maiden BWF World Tour title in Korea.
Chaliha said Park’s guidance had brought a significant change to her approach.
“My all credit goes to Park coach because without him, I think I was not this much energetic before,” she said.
Park’s influence on Indian badminton has continued to grow, with Chaliha’s victory coming just two weeks after Tanvi Sharma won the Taiwan Open.