Qingdao, February 4: The Indian women’s badminton team kicked off their campaign at the Badminton Asia Team Championship (BATC) with an impressive 5-0 victory against Myanmar in their first match of Group Y on Wednesday.
Before the tournament began, the Indian team faced a significant setback with the withdrawal of two-time Olympic medalist P.V. Sindhu due to injury. Sindhu had played a crucial role in India’s victory in 2024.
With Sindhu out, all eyes were on the talented 17-year-old Tanvi Sharma, who was part of the championship-winning team in 2024. Tanvi did not disappoint, defeating Myanmar’s Thet Htar Thuzur with scores of 21-13, 21-16 in just 32 minutes.
Following this strong start, Rakshita Sri Santosh and Malvika Bansod also secured victories in straight sets against their opponents. In the doubles match, the pair of Priya Konjengbam and Shruti Mishra triumphed over Su Late and Thet, winning 21-15, 21-16. In the final match, the duo of Trisa Jolly and Gayatri Gopichand defeated Thet and Phu with a commanding score of 21-8, 21-6.
As the defending champions, India will face last year’s runner-up Thailand in their next match on Thursday. Each group-stage tie consists of five matches, including three singles and two doubles. The top two teams from each group will advance to the quarter-finals. India is the reigning champion in the women’s category, while China holds the title in the men’s division. The Indian men’s team has won bronze medals in 2016 and 2020.
This tournament also serves as the qualifying event for the Thomas and Uber Cup finals, which will take place in Horsens, Denmark, in April-May.
