Gave my best shot against Malvika Bansod: Odisha Open star Unnati Hooda

Rohtak (Haryana) [India], February 3 (ANI): Indian shuttler Unnati Hooda, who defeated many senior players in the Odisha Open, 2022, said that she played with a free mind against them and eventually won.
Unnati defeated compatriot Smit Toshniwal in the title clash of the women's singles here at the Odisha Open 2022 in Cuttack on Sunday.
With this triumph, 14-year-old Unnati has become the youngest-ever Indian to win a BWF Super 100 tournament.
Speaking to ANI, Unnati Hooda said, "I won against many senior players in the Odisha Open, 2022 and it's a great feeling. I gave my best shot while playing against Malvika Bansod, as I was playing without any pressure. My coach Pravesh Kumar, my parents, everyone around me is supporting me with my game."
"I have my morning routine of practice. It starts at 5 AM in the morning. Then in the afternoon at 12 PM and in the evening at 4:30 PM. On international level, this was my first gold medal. Before this, I had played Infosys International Challenge in single's, where I had won a silver medal. I have played against Tasnim Mir twice. She defeated me in chennai, where our game lasted for 85 minutes. Later, I defeated her in Hyderabad," she added.
Regarding her future plans, Unnati said that she is working on decreasing her rank to participate in higher championships.
"I have been working on decreasing my world ranking because with my current rank, I cannot participate in higher championships. I want to play in the top competitions of the world. And my utmost goal is playing at the Olympics," said Unnati.
On the other hand, Unnati's father, Upkaar Hooda, who quit his job to focus on her daughter's game, said that he is proud of his daughter for achieving such a feat.
"Badminton is dominated by South players but Unnati is now confident that she can beat them. She has won the Odisha Open, she is happy. But now we need to work harder, as her game will be recognized by her opponents, so we need to bring variations in her game," said Upkaar Hooda.
"If you look at studies, many students can score a hundred, but in sports there is only one winner. We need to focus on her game and my daughter needs my support and that's why I quit my job. First, I used to work at Guru Jambheshwar University, Hisar and then I started working at Kanpur University.
The teenager defeated 21-year-old Toshniwal 21-18, 21-11 in 35 minutes to clinch the inaugural Odisha Open women's singles title. (ANI)