India defeated Hong Kong in the group stage after shocking the top-seeded Chinese team. The Indian women’s shuttlers guaranteed themselves a gold at the Badminton Asia Team Championships on Friday when they easily defeated Hong Kong 3-0 in the Shah Alam, Malaysia, quarterfinals.
Thanks to wins in doubles from Ashmita Chaliha, Ashwini Ponappa, Tanisha Crasto, and double Olympian PV Sindhu, India handily overcame Hong Kong. India had already defeated China, the top-seeded team, to win the group stage.
India will now play the top-seeded team from Japan, the winner of the other quarterfinal match between China and Japan.
Indian Women’s badminton team at the Badminton Asia Team Championships 2024
At the Badminton Asia Team Championships 2024, which are being hosted in Shah Alam, Malaysia, from February 13 to 18, India, led by PV Sindhu and HS Prannoy, will try to go far.
The badminton competition consists of two separate events: a men’s event and a women’s event. For the two competitions, India has submitted a squad consisting of ten players each representing each competing nation.
The men from India, who took home bronze in both the 2016 and 2018 competitions, are grouped with Hong Kong China and the People’s Republic of China in Group A.
India’s Women’s Badminton Team Secures Semifinal Spot at Badminton Asia Team Championships 2024
Sindhu overcame lower-ranked Lo Sin Yan Happy 21-7, 16-21, 21-12 in a tough encounter following a lengthy injury layoff.
In the women’s doubles, Tanisha and Ponnappa defeated the world-ranked pair of Yeung Nga Ting and Yeung Pui Lam 21-10, 21-14 in 35 minutes, tripling the lead.
Following that, Ashmita defeated Yeung Sum Yee with ease, 21-12, 21-13, to end the tie and ensure that the team would at least receive a medal.
The outcome is satisfactory for the women’s squad. Former national coach Vimal Kumar, who is currently with the team, told PTI from Shah Alam, “I am very happy with their performance.”
“First, there was some drift, making it difficult to steer the shuttle as it was taking off. Sindhu was a touch overextended since the drift made things difficult at one end, but the result is good—we’re in the semifinals.”
PV Sindhu’s Comeback Victory Against Lo Sin Yan Happy: A Thrilling Display of Skill and Determination
In the first game against world no. 77 Lo, Sindhu stormed to an 11-1 lead as her opponent struggled. Following the restart, the Indian gave up six points before winning the match.
After the change of sides, it was a close match as Sindhu and Lo battled back and forth until the score was 10–10, with the Hong Kong player leading by one point at the half thanks to a cross drop.
After that, Lo surged out to a 15–10 lead as Sindhu struggled to control the shuttle, hitting long and toward the net. Lo also hit some excellent shots, one of which was a body smash, and Sindhu made a couple of poor decisions at the backline.
When Sindhu returned to the net, Lo finally forced a decider in the match.
In the final, Sindhu quickly built a 5-1 lead, demonstrating that she was back to her best. Though she lacked accuracy, Lo did engage the Indian in some thrilling rallies. Lo served into the net, and as a result, Sindhu took an 11-7 Cushing at the break.
After play resumed, Sindhu rapidly accumulated points (17–8) with various strokes. When Lo sprayed into the goal, she scored nine match points. Lo missed the second opportunity, giving her another chance to score.
Later in the day, the men’s team from India will play Japan in the quarterfinals.
