Asia Team Badminton Championship | Both Indian men’s and women’s team get off to a good start

Asia Team Badminton Championship | Both Indian men’s and women’s team get off to a good start

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Written by: SportsCafe Desk

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The Indian women’s team under PV Sindhu’s leadership showed a terrific form and register a 3-2 win over Hong Kong and made a positive start in the Asia Team Badminton Championship in Malaysia. Kidambi Srikanth led the Indian men’s side to thrash Philippines 5-0 at the Sultan Abdul Halim Stadium.

Sindhu ensured the Indian side maintained their momentum from the opening match and in the women’s singles encounter, she registered a convincing 21-12, 21-18 victory against Hong Kong’s Yip Pui Yin. 

In the second clash of the day, Ashwini Ponnappa and Prajakta Sawant had to sweat it out in the women's doubles encounter against Ng Wing Yung and Yeung Nga Ting but eventually came up short. The women’s doubles match lasted for 52-minutes where the Indian duo suffered a loss in three games of 22-20, 20-22, 10-21. 

In the second singles match of the day, young Sri Krishna Priya Kudaravalli was pitted against Cheung Ying Mei. Despite losing a closely fought first game by 19-21, she fought her way back to take the second game 21-18. However, it was heartbreak for the young Indian shuttler as he eventually conceded the game and the match in the decider by a score of 20-22.

After Saina Nehwal’s groin injury forced her to pull out of the tournament, the onus was on Sindhu to show her leadership qualities. She paired up with Sikki Reddy to play the second doubles game and they managed to equalize the score after winning the match 21-15, 15-21, 21-14 against Ng Tsz Yau and Yuen Sin Ying.

In the last game of the tie, India picked Ruthvika Shivani Gadde to fight it out against Yeung Sum Yee. Despite losing the opening game, the Indian player controlled her nerves and managed to drag out a 16-21, 21-16, 21-13 win which helped her side to earn the crucial win. 

In their next assignment, India will face Japan which includes the players like Akane Yamaguchi and Nozomi Okuhara on Thursday.

Indian men’s team also registered a thumping 5-0 win against Philippines as Srikanth gave India a winning start by securing the first of the men’s singles matches against Ros Leonard Pedrosa 21-11 21-12. 

In the men’s doubles, Manu Attri and Sumeeth Reddy increase the lead by 2-0 after defeating Carlos Antonie Cayanan and Philip Joper Escueta 21-15 21-13. 

In the second single’s match, Sai Praneeth ensured that the Indians took an unassailable lead after registering an easy 21-6 21-10 win over Arthur Samuel Salvado. 

The next clash was a men’s doubles where Arjun MR and Ramchandran Shlok paired together to win the match 21-18, 21-17 against the duo of Peter Gabriel Magnaye and Alvin Morada. 

Sameer Verma ensured a whitewash as he proved India’s dominance by winning the last match of the tie against Lanz Ralf Zafra 21-15 21-12. On Wednesday, the Indian men’s team will play against Maldives.

The ongoing championship is a qualifier for the Uber Cup Final and the semifinalists will earn the authority to play in Bangkok in May.

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