The Indian men’s badminton team navigated a rollercoaster Group C match against Singapore to lock in their Badminton Asia Team Championships (BATC) 2026 quarterfinal entry on Wednesday in Qingdao. At the packed Conson Gymnasium, resilience and star power shone through in a 3-2 triumph.
A tough opening loss for Lakshya Sen to Loh Kean Yew – 21-16, 19-21, 21-16 – tested India’s mettle early. Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty responded with ruthless efficiency, winning 21-10, 21-8 to tie it up. Ayyansh Shetty’s composed 21-17, 21-15 win over Jia Heng Jason Teh handed India a crucial edge.
Prithvi Roy and K Sai Prateek’s second doubles nearly sealed it after taking the first game, only to drop the next two 21-8, 21-23, 20-22 against Nge Joo Gee and Donovan Wyland V. All eyes turned to Kidambi Srikanth, whose clinical 21-15, 21-16 dispatch of Jia Wei Joel Koh clinched the vital point.
India’s women, the reigning champions, wasted no time, blanking Myanmar 5-0 in Group Y for a perfect launch. Thursday pits them against Thailand, last year’s silver medalists.
This continental showdown qualifies teams for the prestigious Thomas and Uber Cup Finals in Denmark. With such performances, India is primed for glory on the global stage.