NEW DELHI: Ashwini Ponnappa has been the flagbearer of Indian badminton in women's doubles for over a decade. Having forged a world-class partnership with now-retired Jwala Gutta, where the doubles duo won historic medals at the Commonwealth Games and World Championships, Ashwini, now 34, is gearing up for her third Olympics in Paris with a partner 15 years younger to her - Tanisha Crasto.
After representing India with Jwala at two successive Olympics in London and Rio, Ashwini missed the bus for the Tokyo Games in 2020. But after pairing up with Tanisha in January last year, not only she found an able ally but managed to secure a prized Olympics spot after going through a gruelling qualification pathway. The duo is currently the highest-ranked Indian women's doubles pair in the BWF chart.
