Punjab’s promising badminton talent, Jagsher Singh Khangurra of Nabha, has assured India of a medal at the World Junior Badminton Championships in Cairo, Egypt, after defeating Yuan Syue Jhuang of Chinese Taipei to enter the semifinals. The championship is being held from October 5 to 17, with the semifinals scheduled for tomorrow.Jagsher has already won six medals at international tournaments, establishing himself as one of Punjab’s brightest badminton prospects.Ritin Khanna, Secretary of the Punjab Badminton Association, described Jagsher’s achievement as historic and a matter of immense pride for the state. He said Jagsher was among the few Indian players to win a medal in his very first year at the World Junior Badminton Championships.When Jagsher was just 11 years old, his parents, Manpreet Singh and Rashpal Kaur, both government schoolteachers, made the difficult decision to send him from Nabha to a badminton academy in Bahadurgarh, near Delhi, to pursue advanced training and compete at a higher level.The decision meant sending their young son away from home at an age when most children are still under the constant care of their parents. However, believing in his potential, they chose to make the sacrifice in the hope of helping him realise his sporting ambitions.His parents were elated at his achievement and, while speaking to The Tribune, expressed confidence that he would go on to win the gold medal in the upcoming semifinal and final rounds.Manpreet Singh said, “We are continuously doing Ardas and even Jagsher is very confident of winning a gold medal now as he has already defeated the one who was a tough competition.”