Badminton world federation

BWF Japan Masters Japan: India's Naishaa Kaur Bhatoye has exited the qualifying stage of the BWF Japan Masters Japan 2025, losing in the first-round clash to Shaunna Li of New Zealand in straight games at the Kumamoto Prefectural Gymnasium, in Kumamoto, Japan, on Tuesday.

Naishaa, who played a young Saina Nehwal in the Olympic medallist’s Bollywood biopic titled Saina and has only appeared in two Super 100 BWF senior tournaments, went down to Shaunna Li in two games, 21-17, 21-18 in 32 minutes. She was the lone Indian player in the women's singles section of the Badminton World Federation (BWF) Super 500 event.

Naishaa is the lone Indian entry in the women's draw because two-time Olympic medallist PV Sindhu has already ended her season because of an injury, while Anmol Kharb, Tanya Hemanth, and Shriyanshi Valishetty have also pulled out of the competition.