Badminton Asia Team Championships 2022 | Indian teams falter in group stages, fail to make it to knockouts
A file image of Ashmita Chaliha.
|(Twitter)
India's campaign at the Badminton Asia Team Championships came to an end on Friday as both the men's and women's teams lost to their respective opponents. The men's squad was defeated 2-3 by Indonesia, the three-time reigning champions, while the women's team was defeated 1-4 by Japan.
The Indian men's team had previously lost 0-5 to Korea and won 3-2 against Hong Kong. To proceed to the knockout stage, they required an outright victory over championship holders, Indonesia. In the group stage, India came in third behind Indonesia and Korea. Hong Kong came in last place. The women's team needed a win to advance to the knockout stages as well, but Japan proved to be a difficult opponent. The Indians had previously fallen 2-3 to Malaysian hosts.
Lakshya Sen, the champion of the India Open, and Mithun Manjunath both performed admirably. Sen, a bronze medalist at the World Championships, beat Chico Aura Dwi Wardoyo 21-18, 27-25 in 46 minutes to get India off to a good start. The two inexperienced doubles pairs and singles player Kiran George, on the other hand, were unable to rise to the pressure.
Indonesia leveled the tie when Manjit Singh Khwairakpam and Dingku Singh Konthoujam lost in consecutive games 16-21, 10-21 against Leo Rolly Carnando and Daniel Marthin in less than 30 minutes. As world number 75, the reigning champions seized a 2-1 advantage. Kiran, who had won his first Super 100 title in Odisha, was defeated by Ikhsan Leonardo 13-21, 21-17, 10-21.
The Indonesians subsequently secured the tie as Hariharan Amsakarunan and Ruban Rethinasabapathi Kumar of India lost against Muhammad Shohibul Fikri and Bagas Maulana of Indonesia. 10-21, 10-21, 10-21 Manjunath Mithun then fought back to beat Yonathan Ramlie 21-12, 15-21, 21-17 in one hour and three minutes for a consolation win.
While the men's squad went out battling, the youthful women's team proved to be too much for them.
India's Aakarshi Kashyap lost the opening singles match to Natsuki Nidaira 13-21, 21-18, 15-21, giving Japan a 1-0 lead. The lone winner for India in the tie, Ashmita Chaliha, then put on a display to beat Riko Gunji 21-17, 10-21, 21-19 in 53 minutes, bringing India back into the match.
The two doubles pairings, as well as young Tara Shah, were unable to capitalise on the momentum and lost their matches in straight games. Khushi Gupta and Simran Singhi of India lost 15-21, 16-21 against Rui Hirokami and Yuna Kato of Japan, while Tara was defeated 12-21, 16-21 by Hina Akechi.
Arul Bala Radhakrishnan and Nila Valluvan were also defeated by Riko Gunji and Natsuki Nidaira of Japan, losing 10-21, 15-21. The women's squad finishes last in the group stage, losing to both Japan and Malaysia.
