Bangkok: Beating 14-time champions Indonesia 3-0 in a heroic effort in the final, the Indian badminton men’s team won their first-ever Thomas Cup title on Sunday.
India had never reached the final of the Thomas and Uber Cup in the tournament’s 73-year-long history, but the Indian men not only broke the drought but went a step ahead and became only the 6th nation after China, Indonesia, Japan, Denmark, and Malaysia to win the Thomas Cup title.
Chants of “Bharat Mata Ki Jai” and the sound of Dhol were reverberating at the Impact Arena as the young Indian shuttlers came out all guns firing on the big day.
The celebrations after the historic victory told how much it meant to the Indian badminton contingent as they flaunted the enviable team spirit that has been dominating headlines this week.
Kidambi Srikanth defeated Jonatan Christie in straight games 21-15, 23-21 as India sealed the title without losing a match.
Earlier, India had taken a 2-0 lead after Satwiksairaj Rankireddey and Chirag Shetty came from a game down to beat Mohammad Ahsan and Kevin Sanjaya Sukamuljo 18-21, 23-21, 21-19.
That came after Lakshya Sen gave India a 1-0 lead after beating Indonesia’s Anthony Ginting in the first match. After losing the first set 8-21, Sen made a remarkable comeback in the second game, before also shurgging off a four-point deficit in the third game. Sen defeated Ginting 8-21, 21-17, 21-16 in a match that lasted for an hour and five minutes.
Ginting took the first game 21-8 before Sen edged him in the second by 21-7.
The other losing semifinalist, Japan, receives its bronze medals. Japan had lost 3-2 to Indonesia in another nail-biting final four clash on the same day.
