Badminton Asia Mixed Team Championships 2023: India beat UAE to qualify for quarter-finals
India won the tie 5-0 as Lakshya Sen, Aakarshi Kashyap and the doubles teams proved too strong for the hosts. India play CWG champions Malaysia on Thursday.
Badminton
The Indian badminton team defeated UAE 5-0 as Lakshya Sen, Aakarshi Kashyap and India’s three doubles teams proved too strong for the hosts in the second tie of Group B at the Badminton Asia Mixed Team Championships 2023 in Dubai on Wednesday.
The win ensured India a top-two finish in Group B and a place in the quarter-finals. However, India will have to beat Commonwealth Games mixed team champions Malaysia on Thursday to secure the top spot in the group.
Playing on the badminton courts at the Dubai Exhibition Centre, Commonwealth Games men’s singles champion Lakshya Sen set the tone for India with a 21-16, 21-12 victory over Dev Vishnu in the opening match.
With two-time Olympic medallist PV Sindhu rested for the tie, Aakarshi Kashyap took on the mantle in women’s singles and defeated Madhumitha Sundarapandian 21-6, 21-7 to extend India’s lead.
The makeshift Indian men’s doubles pair of Chirag Shetty and Dhruv Kapila then won against Dev Ayyappan and Dhiren Ayyappan 21-15, 21-14 to help India take an unassailable 3-0 lead in the five-match tie.
The women’s doubles pair of Ashwini Bhat K. and Shikha Gautam then steamrolled Sanika Dhawan Gurav and Akansha Raj 21-7, 21-4 in just 22 minutes.
There was no loss of intensity in the final match of the tie for India as the mixed doubles duo of Ishaan Bhatnagar and Tanisha Crasto sealed the 5-0 win for India with a 21-13, 21-8 victory over Bharath Latheesh and Nayonika Rajesh in 26 minutes.
India are expected to field a full-strength side against Malaysia on Thursday. The last time the two teams met, India were handed a 3-1 defeat in the Commonwealth Games 2022 mixed-team final in Birmingham.