India sweat over Prannoy fitness ahead of historic final

BANGKOK: The injury to singles player HS Prannoy will be a mater of concern as India gear up to take on 14-time champions Indonesia in a maiden, historic final in the Thomas Cup team badminton championship here on Sunday.

India had defeated Malaysia and Denmark by identical 3-2 margins in the quarter-finals and semi-finals to storm into the final for the first time in the history of the tournament. Prannoy played a crucial role in both those rubbers. Prannoy, who had suffered a nasty slip in the match deciding encounter with Rasmus Gemke ater India had fought back to level the rubber 2-2.

World and Olympic champion Viktor Axelsen had given Denmark, a 1-0 lead by beating Lakshya Sen. But the double combination of Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shety defeated Kim Astrup and Mathias Christiansen in three games to make it 1-1 and then Kidambi Srikanth beat Anders Antonsen in hard-fought three games to make it 2-1 for Inia.

However, the Danish pair of Anders Skaarup Rasmussen and Frederik Sogaard beat Krishna Prasad Garaga and Panjala Vishnuvardhan Goud in straight games to make it 2-2 and take the rubber into the decider.

However, Prannoy, despite the injury, came up with a brilliant performance to subdue Rasmus Gamke in three, coming back ater losing the first game to script a historic achievement for India.

In Sunday’s final, India take on Indonesia, who edged out China 3-2 in the other semi-final.

If the Indians win the title, it will truly be a historic moment for the sport of badminton as India will become only the sixth country ever to win the Thomas Cup title.

Only Indonesia, China, Malaysia, Denmark and Japan have won the title in the prestigious event since its format was changed and China started participating in 1982. But India face a tough ask against Indonesia, the most successful country in Thomas Cup history with 14 titles.

SOUTH KOREA STUN CHINA TO WIN WOMEN’S TITLE: South Korea stunned defending champions China to win badminton’s prestigious Uber Cup on Saturday in an epic batle that went down to the wire in Bangkok.

The holders were aiming for a 16th title in the women’s team championship but with the countries deadlocked at 2-2 it all boiled down to a singles match between China’s 15th-ranked Wang Zhiyi and 46th-ranked Sim Yu-jin.