‘…Now I’ll figure out how to win much more’: Malvika Bansod beats Tunjung, Paris Olympics bronze medall in Badminton | Badminton News

A computer engineer, who digs anything that’s printed on paper from detective fiction novels to Maths journals, spirituality leaflets to even airplane pamphlets. Nagpur’s 23-year-old Malvika Bansod has also been a deeply driven badminton player, who ended two years of near-misses internationally, to scalp a marquee player – Gregoria Mariska Tunjung, beating the Paris Olympics bronze medall 26-24, 21-19 in Round 1 at China Open.She would immediately call up home, and ask the result to be relayed to her grandfather who is critically ill and bedridden. A Nagpur University tennis and badminton player himself, he was the reason Malvika was drawn into the sport. “He was in ICU when she played in Japan, and was dracted and worried, which reflected in her loss. As soon as his health improved marginally, Malvika did well in Korea. She’s very close to him, because when he could, in better health, he watched every match she played, even if we didn’t,” mother Trupti said of the badminton craze in the joint family.
Malvika first came to attention when she beat Saina Nehwal at the 2022 India Open, but it’s been a long struggle to match those expectations. Leading 19-18 after being 14-6 up in the opener against Tunjung, the Indian would face the resurgent wrath of the Indonesians who even took 3 set points.

Malvika Bansod 🇮🇳 faces Gregoria Mariska Tunjung 🇮🇩 in an intense showdown. #BWFWorldTour #ChinaOpen2024 pic.twitter.com/IfXQH2eNlS
— BWF (@bwfmedia) September 18, 2024
“She was making a comeback after I led in the first 11 points, and I couldn’t convert because of the drift at 19-18. But I was managing her pace well, and changed my strokes in finishing that she found difficult to understand,” she said, calling it a very important win. “I’ve lost in these finishing phases, the 25-23, 21-19 loss to then World No 1 Akane Yamaguchi is the experience I learnt most from. Against Tunjung the rallies got tough, but I did the opposite of what she expected with my choice of strokes. I was on the cusp of a big upset, happy it came 3 days after my 23rd birthday,” she added.
In the second set, Malvika again led 18-10, but the Indonesian collected 9 points in a hurry, and once again put pressure. “She’s crafty and can make a stroke on the line out of nowhere. But I kept continuously manoeuvring rallies to play my game and deny her dominance. Her strokes remained penetrative, but I shifted strategy again in the last 2-3 points,” she said.
With results drying up at top level, Malvika had reasons to feel demotivated, but she’s madly in love with badminton, and convinced she can make it to the top. “You can’t get disheartened, you have to move on and prepare to play Top 20s in the first round,” she said, adding her father travelled with her as a motivator. Malvika’s mother Trupti stresses that her daughter is a quick learner. “If anything slipped out of hand, she would jot down detail notes, analyse it to the soul and substance, watch replays, then come up with solutions,” the mother explains.
Malvika with her grandfather Mr Dipak Bansod. (Special Arrangement)
At Raipur, Malvika trained under coach and current BAI secretary Sanjay Mishra, but was lost briefly after his new role took up his time. “Without him guiding, she couldn’t crack the barrier of big matches. The instability without a full time coach affected her greatly. She now has a few wise coaches in Nagpur, and consults Shrikant Vad in Thane for strategs,” Trupti said.
Malvika said she was awaiting response from Guwahati’s National Centre of Excellence. “I’ve sent my application some time back, and requested them to take me in. But there’s been no reply yet. I have a sparring partner in Saksham, and my father for moral support. But a travelling coach will really help now, I think,” Malvika said.
2023 was also tough because Malvika was afflicted a nasty bout of dengue and typhoid at the same time. She almost collapsed playing at the National Games when still recuperating. Yet, she would push Nozomi Okuhara at Syed Modi in Lucknow, coming out of the serious illness. “She felt really bad, but started analysing more,” Trupti said.
Crazy about reading books, Malvika shuns all social media. “Though she knows the trend that if you aren’t there, you are not considered popular, she just thinks it’s a huge waste of time, when there’s so much else to do,” Trupti says.
Academically bright, with both parents as dents, she was told to pick an easier course, so she could focus on badminton. “But she wanted to prove, you can achieve both sports and studies. She often says ‘when I’m young and free of all pressures, there’s no excuse to not do both.’ She studied 12 hours and trained for 6 during board exams and engineering. Only thing she asked was to drop Bio, because we are both doctors, and she loved Maths instead. But if she gets stuck on badminton strategy or feels stagnated, she prefers reading books. Tactical thinking and mental strength is god gifted. But she loved tight situations of juggling studies and badminton. So that’s helping now,” Trypti says.

For Malvika, the top is what she’s aiming at. “I had to figure out how to not lose at clutch. Now I’ll figure out how to win much more,” she says.