Blitz Bureau
NEW DELHI; Last edition’s bronze medallists India bowed out of the Badminton Asia Mixed Team Championships after losing 3-0 to Japan in the quarterfinals on February 14. Up-and-coming mixed doubles combination of Dhruv Kapila and Tanisha Crasto and women’s singles player Malvika Bansod gave their all against much higher-ranked opponents but could not avoid India’s loss against the formidable Japan – winners of the championship in 2017 – in the last eight stage.
Facing the World No. 12 combination of Hiroki Midorikawa and Natsu Saito in the first match of the tie, Dhruv and Tanisha forced a decider with a spirited fightback in the second game. But the experienced Japanese combination prevailed in the 61-minute contest 21-13, 17-21, 21-13 to take the lead.
Malvika then had the task of stopping World No. 8 Tomoka Miyazaki, but her efforts were not enough as she went down 21-12, 21-19 against the Japanese star shuttler.
India needed Asian Games bronze medallist HS Prannoy to put them on track. The 32-year-old kept those hopes alive briefly as he fought back from a game down to take the men’s singles match against Kenta Nishimoto in the third and deciding game.
However, Nishimoto was quick to get off the blocks in the decider, racing to a 0-6 lead. Prannoy fought back after changing ends at 3-11, but it was too late to overturn the deficit as he went down 14-21, 21-15, 12-21 in an hour and 17 minutes.
India made its way to the knockout stage after routing Macau 5-0 in the opening Group D tie and a hard-fought 2-3 loss against South Korea.
Japan will next play the winner of the tie between China and Hong Kong for aplace in the final.
India’s campaign in the last edition of the Badminton Asia Mixed Team Championship ended with a 2-3 loss to China in the semifinals, and they returned home with a first-ever medal — a bronze — from the continental tournament.
