The Indian men’s badminton team created a historic moment at the ongoing Thomas Cup 2022 as they won the first-ever tournament in 73 years. They defeated Indonesia by a straight score of 3-0 to win the match and Championship. India entered the history by winning The Thomas Cup with the only sixth nation to win after Indonesia, China, Malaysia, Denmark, and Japan.
The Finale
Lakshya Sen commenced the proceedings in the first match and beat Olympic bronze medallist and World No. 5 Anthony Ginting by a score of 2-1. After Lakshya, Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty kept the winning momentum going. Facing the collective team of the Minions and the Daddies with Kevin Sukamuljo and Mohammad Ahsan on the other side of the court, Satwik-Chirag played a nerve-wracking thriller and beat their opponents 3-2. Coming into play the third game was Kidambi Srikanth who showed his fluency against a struggling Jonatan Christie. Kidambi showed some signs of giving away the game but produced an absolute stunner of a final three points to seal the game.
India’s Journey In The Tournament
The Indian team had lost the title match in their two previous appearances – in 1971 and 1988. They had finished runners-up in 1948, 1956 and 1966.
The Indian men’s team began their campaign with a straight-game win over hosts Malaysia, with Kidambi Srikanth beating Tai Tzu Ying in a pulsating men’s singles match to give his team a 1-0 lead in the best-of-five Thomas Cup Finals. Lakshya Sen then went on to beat Ong Yew Sin in the second singles to help India take a 2-0 lead in the best-of-five tournament.
In the second day of the tournament, the Indian men’s team continued their dominating run as they won another two matches to take a 3-0 lead in the tournament. Satwik Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty defeated the Malaysian pair of Chan Peng Soon and Goh V Shem in the doubles tie to help India take a 3-0 lead in the best-of-five tournament. For more sports updates follow the website.
Key Players For India In This Tournament
It was the Kidambi show at the finals. He gave the team a flying start when he beat Malaysian shuttler, Tai Tzu Ying in the first match. His second match against Lai Shi-Fu was also a close match, but he won it. He also helped the team win the doubles match with Ashwini Ponnappa.
The team’s best singles player, Lakshya won his first ever match at the finals. He beat Ong Yew Sin in straight games. Lakshya was the most experienced player for the team. He was the second highest points earner in the season after Kidambi. He also helped the team win the doubles match with Srikanth. Tune into our website for the latest sports updates.
Proud Moments
The historic achievement has drawn the attention of the country’s political class, sporting fraternity, entertainment industry, and the corporate sector, among others. “The Indian badminton team has scripted history! The entire nation is elated by India winning the Thomas Cup! Congratulations to our accomplished team and best wishes to them for their future endeavours. This win will motivate so many upcoming sports persons — PM Modi.
