NASHIK: Smit Toshniwal of Nashik won a bronze medal at the Austrian Open 2022, an international badminton series held in Graz, Austria, from May 26 to 29, 2022. While interacting with the media, Toshniwal stated she aims to win a gold medal for the country. The championship was divided into five groups, i.e. men’s singles, men’s doubles, women’s singles, women’s doubles, and mixed doubles.
Sixth seed Smit Toshniwal got a real good start in the champion’s first match by defeating Mutiara Ayu Puspitasari of Indonesia by 21-18, 21-23 and 21-15.
In the second match, Smit defeated Estelle Van Leeuwen of England by 21-19 and 21-14 to advance to the quarter-finals. In quarter-finals, Smit defeated Keyura Mopati of India by 21-10 and 21-13 to reach the semi-finals. Smit’s semi-final match was against first seed Wen Chi Hsu of China Taipei. Even in the semi-final match, Smit started well, but Wen Chi Hsu defeated Toshniwal by 21-13 and 21-11, and Smit won the bronze medal at the championship.
Wen Chi Hsu, who defeated Smit in the semi-finals, won the title by defeating second seed Lin Hsiang Ti of China Taipei. Smit earlier won a silver medal at the Yonex All England Open Badminton Championships last week. She is the only Indian player to have won a medal in both these consecutive international competitions. Speaking at the occasion, Smit said she has been participating in international competitions for the last three years, and her only aim is to win a gold medal for India.
Smit had earlier reached the semi-finals of the Syed Modi International Championship in January 2022 and the Bangladesh International Challenge in Bangladesh in 2021. In the Khelo India competition held in 2020, and under the All India competition of the senior group, Smit made it to the semi-finals by performing well. She won gold in 12 national competitions in various groups and various silver and bronze medals. She has been practising regularly at Chetan Anand’s Badminton Academy in Hyderabad for the last two years.
