India at Olympics: Ashwini Ponnappa, Tanisha Crasto lose opening match

Paris: The Indian women's doubles pair of Ashwini Ponnappa and Tanisha Crasto began their Paris Olympics campaign with a loss in straight games to South Koreans Kim So Yeong and Kong Hee Yong in their Group C fixture here.

The Indian badminton pair, which put up an inspired show in 2023 to qualify for the Games, went down 18-21 10-21 in a 44-minute match on Saturday.

The Indians made a bright start as Ponnappa and Crasto managed to stretch the Koreans in the opening game but struggled to maintain rhythm in the second, which was a one-sided affair.

The Indian pair will next meet the fourth seeds Chiharu Shida and Nami Matsuyama of Japan on Monday.