The Indian men’s badminton team made history by winning the Thomas Cup on Sunday, igniting a national celebration. Indonesia, the 14 time champion, was defeated by India with a score of 3-0. The Thomas Cup’s final match was conducted in Bangkok, Thailand. Messages of congratulations flooded in from all throughout the country following the incredible victory.
Kidambi Srikanth, Lakshya Sen, and the world number 8 doubles combo, Chirag Shetty and Satwiksairaj Rankireddy, all medalists at the World Championships, were key to India’s success. In 73 years, India has won the Thomas Cup for the first time. The Indian Sports Ministry awarded the men’s badminton team Rs 1 crore for their outstanding performance.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi congratulated the Indian badminton team on Twitter. In a tweet, he stated that India’s victory in the Thomas Cup has thrilled the entire country. The Indian team, according to President Ram Nath Kovind, has set the highest standards for future generations of players.
Anand Mahindra, a businessman, described the stunning triumph as the start of an era of Indian dominance in badminton, a popular sport in India. The Mahindra CEO also noted that he grew up reading about Thomas Cup legends like Indonesia’s Rudy Hartono.
Virat Kohli, the former captain of the Indian cricket team, sent a tweet congratulating the badminton team. Kohli called it a historic achievement and a major milestone for Indian badminton.
India had previously advanced to the Thomas Cup semifinals in 1952, 1955, and 1979.Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty survived four match chances in the first doubles game before defeating Mohammad Ahsan and Kevin Sanjaya Sukamuljo giving India a 2-0 lead. In the first singles match between Lakshya and Ginting, the Indonesian troubled the Indian early on with his incredible pace on the court, taking an 11-7 lead.
Ginting continued to play with the same energy after the mid-game break, scoring 12 points in a row before winning the opening game 21-8 within 17 minutes. The final game was a close one, with neither team gaining a lead of more than three points at any point. With the score tied at 18-18, the Indian partnership claimed the following two points with a pair of cross- court smashes.
With the chance to end the tie in the second singles,Srikanth got off to a strong start against Asian championships runner-up Christie, leading 8-2. The two remained neck- and neck until 15-15, when Srikanth handed it back to Christie by scoring six straight points to end the first game 21-15.
Read More – Indian men’s badminton team won first ever Thomas Cup
