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India create history by beating Indonesia 3-0 to clinch first ever Thomas Cup title in 73 years

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Indian Badminton tean Thomas Cup Courtesy TwitterNew Delhi: Indian men’s badminton team created history when they upset 14-time champions and holders Indonesia 3-0 to clinch their first ever Thomas Cup title in Bangkok on Sunday.

The underdogs, who had not reached the last four stage of this prestigious tournament since 1979, had assured themselves of a medal by beating Malaysia on Thursday and then got the better of Denmark in the semi-finals with both matches going to the wire.

“It's a very proud moment for Indian badminton. We have had many individual triumphs but winning the Thomas Cup crown is very special. This shows the depth of talent we have among the men and full credit to the players and coaching staff for giving their ultimate best through this week and beating some of the biggest badminton powerhouses on their way to the title win," said Dr Himanta Biswa Sarma, President, Badminton Association of India.

World No. 23 HS Prannoy had justified the selectors decision to pick directly in the squad by winning both the deciding rubbers and remained undefeated, especially the second against Rasmus Gemke of Denmark despite hurting his ankle in the opening game.

He was declared fit to play the fifth rubber again in the final but the likes of Lakshya Sen, the men’s doubles combination of Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty and Kidambi Srikanth ensured that he could just put his foot up and enjoy the triumph.

"There are no words to describe my feeling after India's title triumph. The selectors showed faith in the senior players and their form while the youngsters showed that they can step up and take responsibility. I am confident that this title triumph would only encourage young players to dream big but also be a new chapter for Men’s badminton in the country," said Sanjay Mishra, General Secretary, BAI

Given Indonesia’s doubles prowess, it was important for Sen to give them a winning start and the World Championships bronze medallist did just that as he fought from a game down to beat Anthony Ginting 8-21, 21-17, 21-16 in an hour and five minutes.

The Olympic bronze medallist ran riots from a favourable side as he clinched 12 straight points on either side of the mid-game interval to draw first blood.

But Sen wasn’t the one to fold up without a fight and started to come on his own after changing ends. He was patient in his approach and forced Ginting to make errors while looking for quick points.

And India Open champions Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty saved four match points in the second game before defeating Mohammed Ahsan and Kevin Sukamaljo 18-21, 23-21, 21-19 to make it 2-0 in India’s favour.

The Indonesians had fielded a scratch combination against the Indians and it looked like their ploy was working as they raced to a 18-12 lead in the opening game. But the Indians managed to find their rhythm and claw back before the experienced combination drew first blood.

Nerves played their part in the decider as the lead changed hands a couple of times before the Indians clinched two quick points to take a 21-18 lead. Ahsan played out of his skin to save one but the Indians converted the second to set the stage for Srikanth to wrap up the final.

The former world No. 1, who completed the tournament without losing a single match, then came to the party as he clinched the opening game rather easily and then saved two game points in the second before getting the better of Jonathan Christie 21-15, 23-21 as the team launched into a frenzied celebration.

India had entered the finals by defeating Denmark in the semifinals.

Meanwhile, Prime Minister Narendra Modi hailed the Indian men's badminton team for winning the Thomas Cup for the first time and said that their win will motivate many upcoming sportspersons. Modi also spoke to the members of the badminton team and congratulated them.

Congratulating the team for their outstanding performance, Union Sports Minister Anurag Thakur announced a cash award of Rs 1 crore for the team.

Meanwhile, former badminton star Pullela Gopichand, while speaking to NDTV, hailed the win as a great moment for India and Indian sports. "I think this a great moment for India and Indian sports. India winning the Thomas Cup is not just big for India but for badminton world," Gopichand told NDTV.

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