India's men's badminton team missed Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty in a tight 2-3 defeat to China at the Badminton Asia Team event.
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India’s men’s badminton team missed the presence of their leading doubles pair, Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty, leading to a tough 2-3 defeat against China during the Badminton Asia Team Championships group match on Thursday. India’s hopes were kept alive by wins in singles from HS Prannoy and Lakshya Sen, but China came back strong by claiming victories in both doubles matches, tying the score at 2-2.
The decisive match saw Chirag Sen fall to Wang Zheng Xing with scores of 15-21, 16-21, causing India to lose the overall tie. India still reached the knockout phase, securing second place in the group behind China. Despite already qualifying for the quarterfinals with a previous 4-1 victory over Hong Kong, the team rested world No. 1 pair Satwik and Chirag and Kidambi Srikanth, the 2021 World Championships silver medalist.
Prannoy opened India’s account with a hard-fought three-game victory against Weng Hong Yang, pushing India into an early lead. However, India’s doubles team of MR Arjun and Dhruv Kapila lost their match to the higher-ranked Chinese pair, Chen Bo Yang and Liu Yi. Commonwealth Games gold medalist Lakshya Sen quickly defeated Lei Lan Xi to regain the lead for India.
Yet, in the next match, the duo of Suraj Goala and Pruthvi Krishnamurthy Roy couldn’t match their Chinese opponents, bringing the score to a tie again. In the crucial final match, Chirag Sen was unable to clinch a win for India. Prannoy and Weng provided an exciting match, demonstrating skillful play and resilience.
The Indian women’s team faces Hong Kong in the quarterfinals, after impressively beating China in the group stage. They are seen as favorites and have a strong chance of securing India’s first medal in the event. India’s potential semifinal berth guarantees at least a bronze medal.
Hong Kong is led by Lo Sin Yan Happy, ranked 77th, while their second-highest is Yeung Sum Yee, who is ranked 121st. Saloni Samirbhai Mehta follows as world no. 187. In women’s doubles for Hong Kong, the top pairs are Yeung Nga Ting with Yeung Pui Lam at no. 18, and Lui Lok Lok with Ng Wing Yung at no. 40.
India pulled off an unexpected victory against the powerful Chinese team at the Badminton Asia Team Championships, with P V Sindhu returning triumphantly from a four-month break due to a knee injury. Even though India was already set to advance to the next round from Group W, they secured their spot by defeating China.
Sindhu led the charge by beating Han Yue with scores of 21-17, and 21-15 in a match that lasted 40 minutes, putting India ahead. Sindhu, with two Olympic medals to her name and a world ranking of 11, outplayed the world’s number eight, Han Yue. However, India faced a setback as Tanisha Castro and Ashwini Ponappa were defeated by Liu Sheng Shu and Tan Ning, and Ashmita Chaliha also lost to Wang Zhi Yi. This left India trailing with a score of 1-2.
The tide turned when Treesa Jolly and Gayatri Gopichand claimed victory over Li Yi Jing and Luo Xu Min in a three-game match. This win, lasting 69 minutes, ended with a score of 10-21, 21-18, 21-17, and brought India to a draw with China. With this performance, India showcased skill and a strong comeback spirit.
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