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India's Badminton Teams Secure BATC 2026 Quarterfinals with Opening Wins

The Indian men's badminton team began their BATC 2026 campaign with a hard-fought 3-2 victory over Singapore, securing their quarterfinal spot. The win was sealed by Kidambi Srikanth's decisive straight-games victory in the final singles match. Meanwhile, the defending champion women's team delivered a flawless 5-0 performance against Myanmar, not dropping a single game. Both teams have now assured themselves of a place in the last eight of the tournament in Qingdao.

Key Points: India Men & Women Seal BATC 2026 Quarterfinal Spots

  • Men's team wins tense 3-2 battle
  • Women's team delivers dominant 5-0 sweep
  • Kidambi Srikanth seals crucial victory
  • Satwik-Chirag pair wins convincingly
  • Teams advance to quarterfinals
3 min read

BATC 2026: Indian men and women register contrasting wins in group openers to seal QF spots

Indian men edge Singapore 3-2, while women dominate Myanmar 5-0 to secure quarterfinal berths at the Badminton Asia Team Championships 2026.

"Srikanth had to find a way to beat Koh, and the experienced campaigner did that in style."

Qingdao, Feb 4

Indian men overcame a strong challenge from Singapore, while the women dominated Myanmar in their opening group stage encounters to assure themselves of a quarterfinal spot in the Badminton Asia Team Championships being played in Qingdao, China, on Wednesday.

The men's Group C clash between India and Singapore went down to the wire, with former world number 1 Kidambi Srikanth coming up with a clinical performance in the third men's singles against Jia Wei Joel Koh 21-15, 21-16 to ensure that the Indian men's team began their campaign with a win and assured themselves of a last eight spot, as Singapore had lost their first group game against Japan 1-4.

India's campaign did not get off to the desired start, as Lakshya Sen went down 21-16, 19-21, 21-16 against former world champion Loh Kean Yew. But Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty resoted parity with a 21-10, 21-8 win over Eng Keat Wesley Koh and Junsuke Kubo 21-10, 21-8 and Ayush Shetty then defeated Jia Heng Jason Teh 21-17, 21-15 to give India the lead.

The second doubles combination of Pruthvi Roy and K Sai Pratheek almost sealed the match for India as they easily won the opening game against Nge Joo Jie and Donovan Willand Wee before going down 21-8, 21-23, 20-22. This meant that Srikanth had to find a way to beat Koh, and the experienced campaigner did that in style.

In the women's match, defending champions India did not break any sweat against Myanmar with world junior championship silver medallist Tanvi Sharma opening the account with a 21-13, 21-16 win over Thet Htar Thuzar and then the team sweeping all remaining two singles and both the doubles matches.

They will now face Thailand in the second group game on Thursday to decide the group winner.

Results:

Women Group Y: India bt Myanmar 5-0 (Tanvi Sharma bt Thet Htar Thuzar 21-13, 21-16; Rakshitha Sree bt Eaint Chit Phoo 21-12, 21-6; Malvika Bansod bt Lin Lin Htet 21-9, 21-12; Priya Konjengbam/SHruti Mishra bt Su Latt/Thuzar 21-15, 21-16; Treesa Jolly/Gayatri Gopichand bt Htet/Phoo 21-8, 21-6)

Men Group C: India bt Singapore 3-2 (Lakshya Sen lost to Loh Kean Yew 16-21, 21-19, 16-21; Satwiksairaj Rankireddy/Chirag Shetty bt Eng Keat Wesley Koh/Junsuke Kubo 21-10, 21-8; Ayush Shetty bt Jia Heng Jason Teh 21-17, 21-15; Pruthvi Roy/K Sai Pratheek lost to Nge Joo Jie/Donovan Willard Wee 21-8, 21-23, 20-22; Kidambi Srikanth bt Jia Wei Joel Koh 21-15, 21-16

- IANS

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Reader Comments

P
Priya S
The women's team was clinical! So proud of Tanvi Sharma and the entire squad. They didn't give Myanmar a single chance. Hope they carry this momentum against Thailand. The future of Indian women's badminton looks bright!
R
Rohit P
A bit concerned about Lakshya's form though. Losing to Loh Kean Yew is understandable, but the scoreline suggests a tough fight. He needs to find consistency if we want to challenge for the title. The second doubles loss was also a close one that could have sealed it earlier.
S
Sarah B
Watching from the UK! What a thrilling men's match. The depth in the Indian squad is impressive. Ayush Shetty getting a win and young players getting experience on a big stage is fantastic for the sport's growth in India.
V
Vikram M
Srikanth is a legend! When the team needed him, he delivered a calm and composed performance. That's what champions are made of. The women's team is just too strong for some of these sides. Bring on Thailand!
K
Kavya N
So happy for the team! Qualifying for quarters in the first match itself takes pressure off. Now they can focus on topping the group. The mixed results for the men show we have areas to work on, but a win is a win. Jai Hind!

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