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After a good start against Kazakhstan, the Indian men's team competing at the ongoing Badminton Asia Team Championships 2020 in the Philippines suffered a crushing loss against Malaysia.
The biennial Championship which acts as the qualifier for the all-important Uber and Thomas Cup's saw the Kidambi Srikanth and B. Sai Praneeth-led squad suffer a humiliating defeat at the hands of a rather young yet talented Malaysian team, 1-4.
That said, India's victory against Kazakhstan earned them a quarter-final spot where they will now take on the formidable team from Thailand. There is no underestimating the Thai players as their team boasts of extremely powerful players like the World No. 12, Kantaphon Wangcharoen and even three-time World Junior Champion Kunlavut Vitidsarn. The Indian men will undoubtedly have a tough time playing them.
Devoid of one half of the doubles force of Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty, India is having to make do with the likes of MR Arjun and Dhruv Kapila to partner with Shetty, which is affecting the scoreboard too. Aside from former World No. 1, Kidambi Srikanth, nobody was able to register a victory against Malaysia or particularly impress.
Before heading into the quarter-final clash against Thailand, the Indian men's team had better pull their socks up. B Sai Praneeth, Lakshya Sen, and of course, Kidambi Srikanth will be expected to play up and keep the chances for India still alive, as they need to collect precious points for qualification at the upcoming 2020 Tokyo Olympics.
Here's all you need to know about the
Badminton Asia Team Championships 2020:
Date: February 11 - February 16, 2020
Tournament: Badminton Asia Team Championships 2020
Category: Continental Championships
Location: Rizal Memorial Coliseum, Manila, Philippines
Time: India vs Thailand (Men's Squad), Knock-out Quarter-final match at approx. 1:30 PM IST on 14 February 2020
Where to watch Badminton Asia Team Championships 2020?
India- The tournament will not be broadcast here.
Live streaming details for Badminton Asia Team Championships 2020
Badminton Asia Team Championships 2020 can be followed live on the official BWF website.
There will be updates on the official Badminton Asia website.
