Jumar, Urmi secure historic final spot at Bangladesh Int’l Challenge

Bangladesh badminton scaled a historic height on Friday night as Al-Amin Jumar and Urmi Akter stormed into the mixed doubles final of the Yonex-Sunrise Bangladesh International Challenge, becoming the first Bangladeshi pair to reach the final of any event in the tournament's history.

The landmark moment came under the lights at the Shaheed Tajuddin Ahmed Indoor Stadium, where the home pair produced a commanding display in the semi-final, brushing aside Thailand's Kunlapat Lothong and Sarisa Janpeng in straight games, winning 21-11, 21-14 to seal a convincing 2-0 victory.

By reaching the semi-finals earlier in the day, the Bangladeshi duo had already secured a bronze medal. Their semi-final triumph, however, ensured Bangladesh's best-ever finish in the competition and kept alive the possibility of a historic gold medal on home soil.

Earlier on Friday morning, Jumar and Urmi had shown resilience in the quarter-finals, edging past India's Swastik Matharasan and Keerthi Manchala 21-16, 19-21, 21-18 in a hard-fought three-game encounter.

After securing a place in the final, Urmi said their ambition remains unchanged.

"I said in the morning that we want to be champions, and we are moving towards that goal. We have reached the final, and now we want to win gold," she said.

Jumar credited their long-standing partnership and preparation for their historic run in the competition.

"I have been playing mixed doubles with Urmi for seven years. We are performing well, and the training we did for the SA Games has helped us a lot," he said.

Team coach Elina Sultana hailed the achievement as a historic milestone. "Jumar and Urmi have created history for Bangladesh badminton. I hope they can win the final and write that history in gold," she said.

Jumar and Urmi will take on Malaysia's Datu Anif and Clarissa San in Saturday's final.