Bangladesh's Gourab defies 207-rank gap to shock Australian Irusumalla

Three-time national champion Gourab Singha stood out among Bangladesh shuttlers at the Yonex-Sunrise Bangladesh International Challenge, advancing to the round of 32 with a convincing straight-games win over higher-ranked Australian Pushkal Irusumalla in Paltan, Dhaka yesterday.

World No. 676 Gourab beat Irusumalla (469) 21-12, 21-11 on an otherwise disappointing day for the hosts at Shaheed Tajuddin Ahmed Indoor Stadium.

Top local players, including current national champion Khandokar Abdus Soad (353), Shwi Ching Mong Marma (534) and Sifat Ullah (633), were eliminated in their opening main-draw matches.

"It is always pleasant to win an international match, and I want to carry this momentum forward as I will also be playing the men's doubles," said Gourab, who clinched National Badminton Championship titles from 2020 to 2022.

The 23-year-old credited his recent exposure on the international circuit for the upset, having played four tournaments in Australia and Thailand.

"To be honest, we could compete well against overseas opponents until 16 or 17 points, but we often failed to earn the last four or five points. This has been an old weakness for us, either due to lack of stamina or technique.

"But training for the South Asian Games under foreign and local coaches helped improve our fitness and technique. We have also finished matches better in recent international tournaments in Australia and Thailand. [Al-Amin] Jumar even reached the semifinals of the Canadian International Series because of improved finishing," he said.

Gourab admitted Bangladeshi shuttlers still lag behind overseas opponents in speed, experience and training quality, but felt individual adaptation also played a role in results.

"It's not possible for everyone to perform well every time. It also depends on how players adapt what they learned during South Asian Games training and how effectively they apply it."

Since 2011, the Bangladesh Badminton Federation (BBF) has hosted 12 Yonex-Sunrise-sponsored international events to improve exposure, an initiative driven by former general secretary Mahabubur Rob.

However, preparation support for local shuttlers remains limited, with some players reportedly competing after playing paid exhibition matches outside Dhaka. Gourab informed they often rely on these matches to fund equipment and travel, with a top player needing at least Tk 2 lakh a year and overseas tournaments costing even more. He spent nearly Tk 4 lakh on four recent overseas events, with the federation only assisting with visas.

Looking ahead, Gourab believes with better prize money, more ranking tournaments at home, and financial support for overseas events, Bangladesh will flourish on the international stage.