All posts tagged: Indian Badminton team news

Thomas Cup 2026: France beat India 3-0 as Ayush Shetty ambushed by Christo Popov and Srikanth loses in likely last appearance | Badminton News

Thomas Cup 2026: France beat India 3-0 as Ayush Shetty ambushed by Christo Popov and Srikanth loses in likely last appearance | Badminton News

Published by Webster

5 min readUpdated: May 3, 2026 12:36 AM IST France maximized their advantage of three players in the men’s singles Top 17, including two in Top 10, to defeat India 3-0 and make the Thomas Cup final on Saturday. In the absence of Lakshya Sen, rested due to an elbow impact injury, Ayush Shetty played first singles — and got ambushed by Christo Popov. Satwik and Chirag were resigned to wait, men’s doubles only possible as the fifth rubber given the Popov brothers play singles too. Ayush gets ambushed When India went down 0-1 with World No 4 Christo Popov on a rampage, the good news was that Ayush’s manner of being dominated was a known vulnerability. The bad news was it has been the same issue costing him matches for six months — against Lakshya Sen, Brian Yang, Alwi Farhan, Christo himself and Shi Yuqi in the BAC final at Ningbo, inflicting the same damage each time. It is a pattern now, not an aberration. There’s a higher gear, a higher tempo, that most …

Thomas Cup: Lakshya Sen, Satwik-Chirag overcome doubts and disappointments, take matters into their own hands to put India on road to victory | Badminton News

Thomas Cup: Lakshya Sen, Satwik-Chirag overcome doubts and disappointments, take matters into their own hands to put India on road to victory | Badminton News

Published by Webster

First Lakshya Sen, and then Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty, decided they wouldn’t wait for things to happen. Fame, stardom and medals had brought on immense pressure on the established stars of the sport. Injuries had made all three circumspect. Battling Chinese Taipei in the quarterfinals, India’s senior stars stood up to be counted, and led the country to its second Thomas Cup medal in five years, making the semis with a 3-0 win. Sen was up against Chou Tien Chen, whose accurate smashing and controlled pace suffocates opponents. Till well into the second game, the Taiwanese kept Sen under the pump. The Indian described his opponent: “You come prepared that the first game won’t be easy. In closing stages, he will up the gear. He will go for smashes, put mental pressure on you. You just have to fight till the end, even 15-all, 16-all, you got to give that extra 5 percent in the end.” And so it was that after losing the first, Sen found himself staring at 21-18, 20-18, two match …

Indian damru vs Taiwan horn speakers: Thomas Cup uses noise to drum up support | Badminton News

Indian damru vs Taiwan horn speakers: Thomas Cup uses noise to drum up support | Badminton News

Published by Webster

2 min readMay 1, 2026 02:47 PM IST Chou Tien Chen always has a one-person cheerleader in his coach’s corner chair. But Chinese Taipei are also travelling with their most labour-day of electronics- horn speakers used in factories or mines to signal shut ends. Except, this has a pre-recorded chant that keeps going between points, to keep the cheering levels high. Thomas Cup quarterfinals are not the best time for team members especially scheduled to play, to waste energy screaming. The arena has modest partisan support for either Taiwan or India and many empty chairs with sparse flag waving crowds. But the noise has been drummer up using an assortment of noise producing objects. There’s the pre-taped horns that are held aloft and keep going. Then there’s hand fan rattles and cones that are struck against each other to create a din. Lakshya Sen was 18-16 up in first singles, before Chou Tien Chen rode the frenzy with accurate point construction, using drops to take the first step. For India, the team has carried hand …

Lakshya vs Li Shifeng; Ayush vs Hong Yang & Prannoy vs Lu Guang Zu for China tie after Shi Yuqi still recovering at Thomas Cup | Badminton News

Lakshya vs Li Shifeng; Ayush vs Hong Yang & Prannoy vs Lu Guang Zu for China tie after Shi Yuqi still recovering at Thomas Cup | Badminton News

Published by Webster

3 min readApr 29, 2026 11:14 AM IST With Shi Yuqi not having recovered from his acute gastroenteritis, Li Shifeng steps in his place as first singles against Lakshya Sen for the key Thomas Cup group tie to decide who finishes first or second. The tie starts 1.30 pm IST. It’s an interesting point in time for Li Shifeng. Not in the best of forms, he does have scores to settle against Sen, leading 8-7 in head to head overall, but having lost to the Indian at All England in 2026. Shifeng won all their faceoffs in 2025, but hasn’t been in best form this season. Stepping up to MS1 first singles, is a challenge, but Shifeng has always been a big occasion player. Sen lost to Victor Lai, but he is known to reserve his best for the big matches too. In 2023, he defeated Shi Yuqi in Asian Games Teams. It puts Ayush Shetty in unchartered territory, against China’s foxiest Weng Hong Yang, always a tricky customer in second singles. Their rankings are …

Anmol Kharb interview: On ‘damn good feeling’ of winning Asia team gold, working with Sindhu and Gopichand and more | Badminton News

Published by Webster

In her mind, Anmol Kharb, was merely happy to land an opportunity to play against quality international opposition after Badminton Association of India took the inspired call to pick senior national champions for the Asian Team Championships. But the 17-year-old has returned with a historic gold medal for India who won 3-2 pipping Thailand, and the start of an enduring love for chocolate bubble tea. Like a song of glee ending the despondent Indian women’s singles badminton scene, the miracle kid from Malaysia, speaks about her magical last five days. How does it feel to become India’s fifth rubber specialist and win gold? Anmol Kharb: It’s a damn good feeling. For starters, I played the deciders for India. And helped make the entire medal journey easier for the team. I was happy winning the semifinals, and for the support I got from everyone. With what mindset did you approach the fifth decisive matches against China, Japan and Thailand in the final? Anmol Kharb: It was only about giving my best and there was no pressure …