Age-Defying Partnership: Crasto and Ponnappa’s Rise to India’s Top Women’s Doubles Pair

At the age of 16, Tanisha Crasto relocated from Dubai to India on her own. Now, at 20, she, along with her women’s doubles partner Ashwini Ponnappa, is on the brink of qualifying for the 2024 Paris Olympics. In the past four months, the duo, despite a 14-year age gap, has made a mark on the badminton World Tour, securing two titles and finishing as runners-up twice. Their recent victory at the Malaysia Open Super 1000 included an upset win against former world No. 1 and two-time world champions Mayu Matsumoto and Wakana Nagahara.

Their outstanding performances have elevated them to India’s top-ranked women’s doubles pair in the 2024 Race to Paris Olympic Games Qualification Ranking, surpassing more acclaimed players Treesa Jolly and Gayatri Gopichand. Despite their Olympic prospects, Crasto remains focused on giving her best in every tournament rather than fixating on the goal of playing in the Olympics. A year ago, Crasto and Ponnappa weren’t considered for the Olympics. Their partnership was formed in December 2022, following their coaches’ advice.

While Ponnappa struggled to find a stable partner since Jwala Gutta retired, Crasto primarily focused on mixed doubles with Ishaan Bhatnagar. Their decision to team up for women’s doubles was prompted by Bhatnagar’s untimely injury during the Senior Nationals in February 2023. Despite being a new pairing, Ponnappa and Crasto faced challenges entering higher-level tournaments but remained confident in their abilities, sticking together for the pursuit of their goals.