India made history by winning the Thomas Cup for the first time with a ruthless 3-0 upset of reigning champions Indonesia…
Written By : Abhilash Jha
India’s men’s badminton team on Sunday lifted their maiden Thomas Cup title with a cammanding 3-0 win over Indonesia at the Impact Arena in Bangkok, Thailand. Lakshya Sen, Kidambi Srikanth and doubles players Chirag Shetty and Satwiksairaj Rankireddy notched up wins as the Indian camp stunned the 14-time champions to win the prestigious team championship for the first time ever.
India, who had not even reached the last-four stage since 1979, defeated Malaysia and Denmark before dishing out a complete performance in the summit clash. In the second singles, Kidambi Srikanth outclassed Asian Games gold medallist Jonatan Christie 21-15 23-21 in 48 minutes to seal the historic victory.
India have become only the sixth team in the history of the elusive competition. As Srikanth claimed the championship point, the Indian camp rushed to the court in no time. The players and support staff were seen chanting ‘Bharat Mata ki Jai’ as they etched their names into history books.
Lakshya Sen gave India a 1-0 lead after beating Anthony Ginting in the first singles match.
Then India’s doubles team of Satwik-Chirag pulled out the most audacious win of the tie, beating the hallowed Md Ahsan – Kevin Sanjaya Sukamuljo 18-21, 23-21, 21-19. Guilty through this season of flubbing 20-18 leads, Satwik Chirag reversed the trend, winning from 4 match points away from defeat. Keeping their nerve, playing fearless badminton, backing their incredible talent, the young Indians gave India the 2-0 lead.
Kidambi Srikanth stamped his sheer class against Jonatan Christie, winning 21-15 , 23-21. The seasoned India shuttler claimed a championship point with a smash and sealed it with another cracking high-jump shot. It was followed by the entire squad running across the court and jumping in joy.
India were not the overwhelming favorites at the start of the team tournament but the young shuttlers from India had the firepower in them to take out the giants and they did exactly that over the last seven days.
India erupted in celebration after its maiden title triumph in the prestigious Thomas Cup Tournament. From Prime Minister Narendra Modi to Olympic Gold Medallist Neeraj Chopra, the historic feat drew the attention of the country’s political class, sporting fraternity & entertainment industry
