02/10/2026
FROM NATIONAL-LEVEL COMPETITION IN INDIA TO THREE CONSECUTIVE YEARS OF BADMINTON GOLD AT PCTU
What began as a mother’s suggestion to help her small-framed daughter become more active grew into a lasting passion for badminton. Krishika Kashyap, a third-year student in the international Medicine class 24MD1, went on to represent Assam at national-level badminton tournaments in India. After moving to Vietnam to study, she continued playing and became a familiar name at Phan Chau Trinh University’s student badminton tournaments.
It started with a racket that was too big
Born in 2005, Krishika comes from Assam, India. She began playing badminton around seventh grade, following a somewhat unexpected decision by her mother.
“I was quite short then, so my mother thought playing sports would be good for me. At first, she wanted me to play tennis, but the racket was taller than I was. So she switched me to badminton,” Krishika recalled.
From those first training sessions, she gradually devoted more time to the sport. What began as a physical activity suggested by her family became something she pursued seriously.
While competing in India, she represented Assam in state and national ranking tournaments and also participated in regional and district competitions. She competed in women’s singles, women’s doubles and mixed doubles.
Krishika won regional and state tournaments, collecting medals and trophies along the way. During her competitive career, she also achieved high rankings across all three events.
Those years helped her develop consistent training habits and discipline. But for Krishika, these alone are not enough to sustain a long-term commitment to a sport.
“You can train several times a day, stay disciplined and persevere. But if you don’t truly love what you’re doing, I think it’s difficult to feel fulfilled,” she said.
Finding her place on PCTU’s badminton courts
Moving to Vietnam to study Medicine at Phan Chau Trinh University meant adjusting to an entirely new environment.
Medical studies require considerable time for academic learning and practical training. Even with that demanding schedule, Krishika continues to make time for badminton.
At PCTU, she can train on campus at the Multi-purpose Hall and through the. Here, she meets fellow students who share her interest, practises with them and takes part in university sports activities.
For Krishika, having a court within her learning environment makes it easier to stay active without having to find another training venue after classes.
The club allows her to stay connected to the sport she has loved since seventh grade, build friendships and participate in campus sporting events.
**Three consecutive years of gold at PCTU’s student badminton tournament**
During her studies in Vietnam, Krishika has also competed in tournaments in Da Nang.
She has entered women’s doubles and mixed doubles events outside the university, winning mixed doubles titles and gold medals with her partners at several tournaments. These competitions have helped her maintain her competitive form and gain experience in Vietnam’s badminton community.
At PCTU, her regular training courts also host the university’s annual student badminton tournament, which she first entered as a first-year student.
In her first year, Krishika won gold in women’s singles. In her second year, she claimed gold in both women’s singles and mixed doubles. At the most recent tournament, she added gold medals in women’s singles and women’s doubles.
Between lectures and practical sessions, Krishika has a court where she can train, a club where she can connect with others, and tournaments where she can continue challenging herself.
Her story extends beyond the medals. It shows how a passion can remain part of a person’s life through changing circumstances—from a seventh-grader picking up her first racket, to a player competing at national level in India, and now a medical student at PCTU.
A racket chosen by her mother. A passion nurtured over the years. At PCTU, Krishika continues to make room for both Medicine and badminton, finding joy in her studies, her club and the courts.
