The Odisha siblings also registered a convincing win in the semifinals, trouncing another Mauritius pair of Lorna Bodha and Kobita Dookhee 21-8, 21-5. But in the final, they gave tough fight to the top-seeded Germans before losing by 1-2 games.

The silver medal in an open international tournament is sure to boost the morale of the Odisha sisters, who have been struggling to sustain their playing careers due to various reasons.

Rutaparna and Swetaparna made their presence felt in international level after developing their game at the Hyderabad-based Pullela Gopichand Badminton Academy. But they left the academy of the former All-England champion and National coach last year with bitterness, the reasons of which are yet to be known.

Getting no support from any quarters, the bloosoming careers of the beleaguered shuttlers seemed to be in jeopardy. But the brave girls chose not to give up and continued to work with greater determination at an ordinary court, set up by their father Ramachandra Panda in a village, closer to their residence in Cuttack city.

Playing national and international doubles events together, the duo suffered defeats in some tournaments initially, but kept on improving their standard. The hardwork and determination finally bore fruit with the silver medal at the Saint-Denis Reunion Open today. Meanwhile, the Cuttack-based sisters are said to have joined the Prakash Padukone Badminton Academy in Bengaluru.
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PHOTOS: Rutaparna and Swetaparna with their runners-up trophies in Saint-Denis, Reunion on 17 July 2022.