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India Women Crush Myanmar 5-0 in BATC Opener Led by Teen Prodigy

The Indian women's badminton team began their Badminton Asia Team Championship title defense with a commanding 5-0 victory over Myanmar. Playing without the withdrawn PV Sindhu, 17-year-old Tanvi Sharma stepped up to win the opening singles match comfortably. The victory was sealed with straight-set wins across both singles and doubles rubbers. India now faces a key match against last year's runners-up, Thailand, with the tournament serving as a qualifier for the Uber Cup finals.

Key Points: India Women Start BATC Title Defense with 5-0 Win Over Myanmar

  • Dominant 5-0 victory in Group Y
  • Teenager Tanvi Sharma wins opener
  • Team plays without star PV Sindhu
  • Crucial match vs Thailand next
  • Tournament is Uber Cup qualifier
2 min read

BATC: India women crush Myanmar 5-0 in opener

Defending champions India dominate Myanmar 5-0 in Badminton Asia Team Championship opener. Teenager Tanvi Sharma leads the charge after PV Sindhu's withdrawal.

"she did not let down - on Tanvi Sharma's performance"

Qingdao, Feb 4

Defending champions India women began their Badminton Asia Team Championship campaign in commanding fashion, registering a dominant 5-0 victory over Myanmar in their Group Y opener at the Qingdao Conson Gymnasium on Wednesday.

The Indian team suffered a big blow before the start of the tournament as two-time Olympic medallist PV Sindhu, played a major part in Team India's triumph in 2024, withdrew from competition due to a niggle.

After Sindhu's exit, all the focus was on 17-year-old prodigy Tanvi Sharma, who was part of India's title-winning squad in 2024, and she did not let down. Tanvi won the first match comfortably. It took her just 32 minutes to beat Myanmar's Thet Htar Thuzur 21-13, 21-16 in the opening match.

After a strong start, Rakshita Sree Santosh and Malvika Bansod also sealed points with straight-set wins against the visitors.

In the doubles game, the pair of Priya Konjengbam and Shruti Mishra got the better of Su Latt and Thet and beat the Myanmar combination in straight sets, 21-15, 21-16.

In the final match, the duo of Tressa Jolly and Gayatri Gopichand crushed Htet and Phoo with a straight-set victory of 21-8, 21-6.

Defending champions India will now play against last year's runners-up Thailand in the next match, which will be played on Thursday.

In the tournament, each group-stage tie comprises five rubbers, which include three singles and two doubles, with the top two teams from each group advancing to the quarter-finals.

The tournament also serves as Asia's qualifying event for the Thomas and Uber Cup finals, scheduled to be held in Horsens, Denmark, in April-May.

India's women are the defending champions, while China are the reigning men's winners. India's men have claimed bronze medals twice, in 2016 and 2020.

- IANS

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Reader Comments

P
Priya S
Great to see such depth in the squad. While Sindhu's withdrawal is a concern, it's heartening that others are ready to take responsibility. The doubles pairs were especially dominant. Well done, girls!
R
Rohit P
A 5-0 win is always a statement. But let's be honest, Myanmar is not the strongest opponent. The real test is tomorrow against Thailand. Hope the team carries this momentum forward.
S
Sarah B
Following from the UK. Impressive performance! The scorelines in the doubles were ruthless. Good luck for the rest of the tournament.
M
Meera T
So proud of our women's team! They are truly champions. Jolly and Gayatri winning 21-8, 21-6... that's just showing pure class. Hope Sindhu recovers soon, but the bench strength looks solid.
K
Karthik V
A respectful point: while the win is great, the coverage often focuses only on singles stars. It was wonderful to see the doubles pairs get their due credit in this article. They are the backbone of a team event.

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