KUALA LUMPUR: Independent women's singles player K. Letshanaa bagged her first title of the season when she came out tops at the Uganda International Challenge today.
The 20-year-old Selangor-born completed a superb week in Kampala by downing two-time former European Championships bronze medallist Neslihan Yigit of Turkiye 21-11, 21-8 in the final.
Letshanaa, who left the national team in 2020 due to a back injury, is glad to see her form slowly improve.
When she made a comeback last August, Letshanaa was ranked No 530 in the world. She is now at No 112 and is bent on moving higher.
When contacted by Timesport, Letshanaa, who depends on family and well-wishers to compete in tournaments, said: "I am really happy to beat a very good player (Neslihan) in the final here.
"I hope it will give me the boost to achieve more in the future.
"It's always tough to be a professional player, but I have to thank my family and the many well-wishers who continue to support me to play in tournaments."
Letshanaa, who will compete in the Thailand International Challenge on March 7-12, said she would not turndown an offer if invited to be a part of this year's Sea Games squad.
"The decision lies with the head coach (Academy Badminton Malaysia), but yes, if given the chance, I would like to fight for it," she added.
After reaching the final of last year's Malaysia Games, Letshanaa also started a crowdfunding campaign in November.