Mumbai: The Central Government has announced a cash award of Rs 1 crore for the Indian men's team that defeated 14-time champions Indonesia 3-0 in the final to win a historic maiden title in the Thomas Cup world team badminton championships.After Lakshya Sen, Satwiksairaj Rankireddy-Chirag Shetty and Kidambi Srikanth won their respective matches to give India a dominant, memorable victory in their maiden entry in the final, Sports Minister Anurag Thakur announced the cash award in a tweet. "As #TeamIndia defeats 14-time #ThomasCup Champions Indonesia to win its 1st ever #ThomasCup2022, @India_Sport is proud to announce a cash award of ₹1 crore for the team in relaxation of rules to acknowledge this unparalleled feat! Congratulations Team India!!," the Minister said in his tweet.India on Sunday became only the sixth country ever to win the Thomas Cup, joining Indonesia, China, Malaysia, Japan, and Denmark to win the Thomas Cup. India had defeated Malaysia and Denmark by an identical 3-2 margin in the quarter-finals and semi-finals respectively before getting the better of Indonesia in the final.—IANS

The Central Government has announced a cash award of Rs 1 crore for the Indian men's team that defeated 14-time champions Indonesia 3-0 in the final to win a historic maiden title in the Thomas Cup world team badminton championships.

Minister Anurag Thakur announces Rs 1 cr cash award for men’s badminton team

Badminton

Jakarta: One of the architects of Indian badminton team's historic Thomas Cup triumph, Kidambi Srikanth described it as one of the best achievements in his career.An unheralded Indian men's team notched up a dominating 3-0 win over 14-time champions Indonesia to lift the Thomas Cup for the first time with Srikanth playing a crucial role as he stayed unbeaten in the tournament."Individual events are always different to team events and we hardly get to play team events and Thomas Cup finals are the biggest team events. So to win such a big event is a really big moment. It will actually take a while, before you know what has actually happened," Srikanth said during a virtual press conference."I will rate this one of my biggest wins and I am happy that everyone played extremely well. I dont think this is one individual's win, it is about all 10 players, Everyone stepped up when it mattered."Srikanth, who had claimed a silver medal at the World Championships in Spain last December, said he can't compare his wins but it was one of his biggest in his career."I did well at world championships in December as well, this is another event where I did well. I just can't compare any of my wins, I don't want to rank any of my wins, all of them are important.""It is definitely one of the biggest wins, best in in terms of tournaments and one of my best performances."<img src="https://im.rediff.com/sports/2022/may/15thomas-kidambi.jpg?w=670&amp;h=900">Srikanth said winning for the country was a big motivating factor for the team."In any major event be it Commonwealth Games, Asian Games, Thomas and Uber Cup, world championships, none of them have prize money. But when you win, in this tournament, this is for the country, After we won, people said India won Thomas Cup, it was not Srikanth or Prannoy, so it itself was a special feeling," he said."I don't think every one will have the privilege to experience it, it is us 10 players and coaching staff who have experienced it now and it will motivate others to do well. So the motivating factor was that we won this for the country."Coming into the match after two defeats against Jonatan Christie, Srikanth produced a superb show to notch up a 21-15, 23-21 win over the Asian Games gold medallist.Asked if he was under pressure in the final moments of the second game, Srikanth said: "There were nerves, also because of the fact that I was leading for most part of the second game. He also played very good, he has done extremely well, so can't really write off, that too in the final.""I was just taking him on, trying to play consistently, but he played well after the 11 point break in the second game. I am just happy that I could play whatever I thought of playing, I could finish off the match and give that win to the country."HS Prannoy, 29, also produced some sensational performance, winning the deciding third singles to take India home in the quarterfinals and semifinals.There were criticisms when he was exempted from the selection trials and directly included in the squad.Asked if he had shut the critics with his performance, Prannoy said: "Defintely, I would say I did. I have always performed under pressure and to be part of this kind of team I am really proud of.""I am really thankful to association for choosing me as third singles. I always wanted to be a part of Thomas Cup and I would have regretted if I was not chosen. I am extremely happy.""Thanks to everyone for supporting me and I think I have done justice with my performance. Nothing has sunk in yet, it will take couple of days more, we have to celebrate it big time."Prannoy said they always had the self belief to go the distance and all they needed was the support of each other."I think the feeling was always there, before coming also, we had that belief this is the team which can contend for the title but the quarterfinal match was a crucial one because it was a big pressure because we knew we still didn't have the medal at hand.""But all of us stepped up at right time, after that the belief started getting better and we were playing 25 per cent more than the previous matches."—PTI

One of the architects of Indian badminton team's historic Thomas Cup triumph, Kidambi Srikanth described it as one of the best achievements in his career.

I will rate this one of my biggest wins: Srikanth

Bangkok: A determined Indian men's team etched its name in the history books by lifting the Thomas Cup title for the first time with a dominant 3-0 win over 14-time champions Indonesia in the final, in Bangkok, on Sunday.India dished out a performance for the ages with World Championships medallist Lakshya Sen, Kidambi Srikanth and world number 8 doubles duo of Chirag Shetty and Satwiksairaj Rankireddy producing memorable performances. After being offcolour in the knockout stages, Sen delivered when it mattered the most as he gave India a 1-0 lead with a come-from-behind 8-21, 21-17, 21-16 win over world number five Anthony Sinisuka Ginting in a superb show of temperament and skill.The country's best doubles pair of Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty then showed nerves of steel as it saved four match points in the second game to eventually outwit Mohammad Ahsan and Kevin Sanjaya Sukamuljo 18-21, 23-21, 21-19. In the second singles, Srikanth then produced a fine performance to outclass Asian games gold medallist Jonatan Christie 21-15, 23-21 in 48 minutes to seal the contest.—PTI

A determined Indian men's team etched its name in the history books by lifting the Thomas Cup title for the first time with a dominant 3-0 win over 14-time champions Indonesia in the final, in Bangkok, on Sunday.

How India clinched maiden Thomas Cup trophy

India vs Indonesia, Thomas Cup final, on Sunday, May 15, 2022, from 11.30am IST onwards.Bangkok: Brimming with confidence, India will again look to punch above their weight when they run into 14-time winners Indonesia in the final of Thomas Cup in Bangkok on Sunday, seeking to create history one more time.Given their formidable record, defending champions Indonesia have been the team to beat in the competition, but the Indian men's team has shown its mettle by bringing down mighty Malaysia and Denmark to make its first-ever final at the prestigious tournament.It was a historic moment for the unheralded Indian team as, despite the odds, it never lacked in self-belief and displayed exemplarily mental fortitude to recover twice from initial reversals and come on top of their opponents.Going into the final, India will look to prove that it has the wherewithal to pull the rug from under the feet of their fancied rivals.While Indonesia have been relentless with an unbeaten record, India have lost just one match -- against Chinese Taipei in the group stage -- in the competition.If Indonesia disposed off China and Japan in the knockout stage, India went past five-time former champions Malaysia and 2016 winners Denmark.The poster boys of Indian men's badminton -- Kidambi Srikanth and HS Prannoy -- have shouldered the responsibility with an invincible record of five wins, while the country's best doubles pairing of Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty put their hands up whenever the chips were down.The young combination of Krishna Prasad Garaga and Vishnuvardhan Goud Panjala have proved to be a weak link but they gave a good account of themselves during their losses against Malaysia and Denmark.The Indian think-tank is likely to bring back MR Arjun and Dhruv Kapila as the second doubles pair for the final.The duo played two matches in round-robin and had one win and a loss.World number 9 Lakshya Sen, who was laid low by food poisoning at the start of the tournament, has played well in patches but couldn't provide a positive start in the last two outings.On Sunday, Sen is likely to go up against world number 4 Anthony Sinisuka Ginting and the Indian will take inspiration from his last performance against the Indonesian, whom he easily dismantled in straight games at German Open in March.Srikanth is expected to face world number 8 Jonatan Christie, who has been in red-hot form with title win at Swiss Open and runners-up finishes at Korea Open and Badminton Asia Championships.The Indian has a 4-5 record against Christie but he comes into the match after suffering losses in two close matches against the Indonesian this year and would be itching to set the record straight this time.If the match goes down to the wires then Prannoy, who had battled pain after twisting his ankle to take the team home, will again be summoned and he is likely to cross swords with world number 24 Shesar Hiren Rhustavito.Prannoy, currently ranked 23rd in the world, has a 2-0 record against the Indonesian but he hasn't played the youngster in the last five years."We have quite a balanced team, the doubles are contributing immensely. All the players have played exceptionally well and pulled out matches from close situations. So I feel we have a 50-50 chance against Indonesia," said former India coach Vimal Kumar, who is with the team."The playing conditions are very different here, there is a lot of drift in the hall, so players who adjust well will have a better chance of getting success. That is the key."Also there is added pressure on Indonesia, which is an advantage for us as we have nothing to loss. We are not under pressure like the Chinese, Indonesians or Danish and that helps," he added.Indonesia have some of the best doubles shuttlers with three players of the world's top two pairs -- Kevin Sanjaya Sukamuljo, Mohammad Ahsan and Hendra Setiawan -- in their ranks in this competition.They also have the world number 7 combination of Fajar Alfian and Muhammad Rian Ardianto and it will be an uphill task for India to take the doubles matches.Chirag and Satwik, however, had beaten Sukamuljo and Ahsan at the 2018 Asia Team Championships and with Danish legend Mathias Boe by their side, they will fancy their chances."Indonesia have a lot of choices in doubles with many players of similar levels, so they can try out different combinations. They are all experienced guys and have done well but I am hopeful," Vimal said.—PTI

India vs Indonesia, Thomas Cup final, on Sunday, May 15, 2022, from 11.30am IST onwards.

Can India upset mighty Indonesia in Thomas Cup final?

&nbsp;Kuala Lumpur: The Indian men's badminton team scripted a memorable 3-2 win over Malaysia to enter the semifinals of Thomas Cup for the first time in 43 years but the women's side bowed out after losing 0-3 to Thailand in the Uber Cup here in Bangkok, Thailand on Thursday.India is thus assured of at least a bronze at the Thomas Cup. The country has not won a medal at the event since 1979.India had bagged three bronze in the past when they reached inter-zonal finals. However, it is the first time since the change in the qualifying format that the country won a medal at the prestigious tournament.Up against a team that has won the title five times, the world number 8 pairing of Chirag Shetty and Satwiksairaj Rankireddy, world championships silver medallist Kidambi Srikanth and HS Prannoy rose to the occasion to see India home.India will next take on either Korea or Denmark.A lot of expectation rode on world championships bronze winner Lakshya Sen but he couldn't go the distance in the opening singles, losing 21-23 9-21 to reigning world champion Lee Zii Jia in 46 minutes.With the Malaysian fans thronging the Impact Arena, Chirag Shetty and Satwiksairaj Rankireddy took to the court and the duo dished out a superlative performance to outwit world number 13 Goh Sze Fei and Nur Izzuddin 21-19 21-15 to bring India back in the five-match tie.It was an all-out attack in the final phase of the second game which saw the Indian pair set up five match points with Chirag converting with a smash, leaving the Indian camp all pumped up.Srikanth rode on his superior and varied strokeplay to outclass world number 46 NG Tze Yong 21-11 21-17 and give India a 2-1 lead.The world number 45 combination of Krishna Prasad Garaga and Vishnuvardhan Goud Panjala were handed the task of taming Aaron Chia and Teo Ee Yi and the Indian pair produced a good effort before losing 19-21 17-21 as the match went into the decider.World number 23 HS Prannoy was all fired up in the final contest as he handled the pressure to erase an 1-6 deficit early in the first game to eventually canter to a 21-13 21-8 win over 22-year-old Jun Hao Leong as India completed a fantastic come-from-behind victory.The moment Prannoy unleashed a smash to seal the contest, his teammates entered the court and rejoiced.Earlier, double Olympic medallist P V Sindhu fought hard before losing to Ratchanok Intanon as the Indian women's team crashed out of the Uber Cup Finals after being drubbed 0-3 by Thailand in the quarterfinals.World No. 7 Sindhu was off colour for the second consecutive day as she squandered a one-game lead to go down 21-18 17-21 12-21 against Intanon, ranked eighth, in a 59-minute first women's singles match.The defeat means Sindhu now trails Intanon 4-7 on head-to-head record.India were down 0-2 when the women's doubles pair of Shruti Mishra and Simran Singhi lost 16-21 13-21 against the Thai pair of Jongkolphan Kititharakul and Rawinda Prajongjai.It was no better for Aakarshi Kashyap, who surrendered 16-21 11-21 to Pornpawee Chochuwong in the second singles match that lasted 42 minutes, as Thailand completed a 3-0 thrashing, making the remaining two matches of the tie redundant.—PTI

The Indian men's badminton team scripted a memorable 3-2 win over Malaysia to enter the semifinals of Thomas Cup for the first time in 43 years but the women's side bowed out after losing 0-3 to Thailand in the Uber Cup here in Bangkok, Thailand on Thursday.