Qingdao erupted in cheers as India’s women’s badminton squad, sans their star PV Sindhu, obliterated Myanmar 5-0 in the Badminton Asia Team Championship’s opening Group Y fixture. The Wednesday showdown at Conson Gymnasium marked a resilient statement from the title holders.
Injury sidelined Sindhu, the Olympic double medalist and 2024 hero, thrusting young gun Tanvi Sharma into the spotlight. The 17-year-old, part of last year’s winning squad, rose to the occasion brilliantly, dispatching Thet Htar Thu Zaw 21-13, 21-16 in a brisk 32-minute affair.
India’s depth shone through next. Rakshita Sree Santosh and Malvika Bansod powered to straight-games victories, leaving Myanmar reeling. Doubles action was no less one-sided: Priya Konjengbam-Shruti Mishra duo prevailed 21-15, 21-16 over Su Latt-Thet, and Treesa Jolly-Gayatri Gopichand demolished Thet-Phoo 21-8, 21-6, sealing an impeccable sweep.
Looking ahead, India faces Thailand—finalists in 2024—tomorrow. With five-match ties (three singles, two doubles) deciding group outcomes, the top two per group book quarterfinal spots. India enters as women’s champions; men’s defending champs are China, with India boasting 2016 and 2020 bronzes.
Beyond glory, BATC is the Asian gateway to the Thomas-Uber Cup in Horsens, Denmark, heightening the stakes for qualification and supremacy.