Qingdao, Feb 4 (IANS) Defending champions India women began their Badminton Asia Team Championship campaign in commanding fashion, registering a dominant 5-0 victory over Myanmar in their Group Y opener at the Qingdao Conson Gymnasium on Wednesday.
The Indian team suffered a big blow before the start of the tournament as two-time Olympic medallist PV Sindhu, played a major part in Team India’s triumph in 2024, withdrew from competition due to a niggle.
After Sindhu’s exit, all the focus was on 17-year-old prodigy Tanvi Sharma, who was part of India’s title-winning squad in 2024, and she did not let down. Tanvi won the first match comfortably. It took her just 32 minutes to beat Myanmar’s Thet Htar Thuzur 21-13, 21-16 in the opening match.
After a strong start, Rakshita Sree Santosh and Malvika Bansod also sealed points with straight-set wins against the visitors.
In the doubles game, the pair of Priya Konjengbam and Shruti Mishra got the better of Su Latt and Thet and beat the Myanmar combination in straight sets, 21-15, 21-16.
In the final match, the duo of Tressa Jolly and Gayatri Gopichand crushed Htet and Phoo with a straight-set victory of 21-8, 21-6.
Defending champions India will now play against last year’s runners-up Thailand in the next match, which will be played on Thursday.
In the tournament, each group-stage tie comprises five rubbers, which include three singles and two doubles, with the top two teams from each group advancing to the quarter-finals.
The tournament also serves as Asia’s qualifying event for the Thomas and Uber Cup finals, scheduled to be held in Horsens, Denmark, in April-May.
India’s women are the defending champions, while China are the reigning men’s winners. India’s men have claimed bronze medals twice, in 2016 and 2020.
–IANS
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