Devika Sihag, a 20-year-old Indian badminton player, won her first BWF International Challenge championship at the Malaysia International Challenge 2025 in Ipoh. The tournament, held from August 12 to 17 at Arena Badminton Perak and had a total prize pool of USD 18,000, concluded with an all-Indian women’s singles final. Sihag defeated fellow Indian Isharani Baruah, 15-7, 15-12, under the Badminton World Federation’s experimental 3×15 scoring system. This win is Sihag’s most significant achievement to date, establishing her as a rising star in Indian badminton.

Sihag, ranked 100 in the world, performed admirably throughout the competition. In the quarterfinals, she defeated Japan’s world No. 36, Manami Suizu, in straight games. Her semi-final match against former junior world No. 1 Tasnim Mir was tightly contested, with Sihag recovering from a first-game loss to win 11-15, 15-9, 16-14.

India’s overall performance at the event was encouraging. Isharani Baruah dazzled with wins against Indonesia’s Mutiara Ayu Puspitari and Malaysia’s Keisha Fatimah, setting up an all-Indian title clash. Mithun Manjunath reached the men’s singles semi-finals after overcoming Ade Resky Dwichayo, but he was defeated by Malaysia’s Jan Jireh Lee. Manraj Singh and Alap Mishra both competed well, making it to the quarterfinals.