New Delhi:&nbsp;The Badminton Association of India (BAI) has rewarded the Indian men's team with a cash prize of Rs one crore for its historic title triumph at the Thomas Cup Finals in Bangkok.BAI handed the cash prize of Rs one crore to the Indian team and Rs 20 lakh to the support staff after their arrival in the country, in a city hotel here on Saturday night. BAI president Himanta Biswa Sarma congratulated the Indian team on its historic achievement. BAI general secretary Sanjay Mishra alongside chief national coach Pullela Gopichand and other BAI officials were present during the occasion. The Indian team scripted history by clinching the Thomas Cup title for the first time in 73 years by thrashing 14-time champions Indonesia.—PTI

 The Badminton Association of India (BAI) has rewarded the Indian men's team with a cash prize of Rs one crore for its historic title triumph at the Thomas Cup Finals in Bangkok.

BAI awards cash prizes to Thomas Cup-winning contingent

Badminton

Manama: Top para shuttlers Pramod Bhagat and Tarun Dhillon clinched two gold medals each as the Indian team ended with a rich haul of 23 medals including seven gold medals at the 1st Bahrain Para-Badminton International Championships 2022. Promising doubles shuttler Manisha Ramdass also shot into the limelight with her twin gold medal show, while Nithya Sre Sumathy Sivan (WS SH6) and Dhinagaran Pandurangan and Sivarajan Solaimalai (Doubles SH6) claimed the other top honours for India.Pairing up with a new partner, Bhagat turned the colour of his mixed doubles SL3-SU5 silver medal from Brazil into gold this time. He and promising Manisha Ramdass got the better of Thailand’s Siripong Teamarrom and Nipada Saensupa 21-14, 21-11 to take the gold. The Tokyo 2020 Paralympic champion Bhagat then went on to take the men’s singles SL3 gold after England’s Daniel Bethell gave a walkover.In the men’s SL4 events, Dhillon, who missed out on a medal at the Tokyo 2020 Paralympics, first paired with Nitesh Kumar to pull off a convincing 21-13, 21-7 win over Thailand’s Mongkhon Bunsun and Siripong Teamarrom in men’s doubles SL3-Sl4 summit clash. High in confidence, Dhillon took just 20 minutes to thump South Korea’s Shin Kyung Hwan 21-9, 21-9 for the men’s singles SL4 gold.Manisha, Nithya shine in women’s events In women’s events, Asian Youth Para Games champion Nithya Sre Sumathy Sivan continued her good run of form to defeat England’s Rachel Choong 21-15, 21-15. Meanwhile, Mandeep Kaur, who pulled off an upset win in her semi-finals, had to settle for the second place after going down to Turkey’s Halime Yildiz 21-5, 21-17 in the women’s SL3 finals, the Paralympic Committee of India (PCI) informed in a release on Sunday. She later came out with a strong show combining with Manisha Ramdass for the gold in the women’s doubles SL3-SU5 finals. They took just 23 minutes to defeat the Paralympian pair of Palak Kohli and Parul Dalsukhbhai Parmar 21-11, 21-11. In doubles SH6, Dhinagaran Pandurangan and Sivarajan Solaimalai took the gold after Hong Kong’s Chu Man Kai and Wong Chun Yim retired with one game all 21-12,10-21.Chief national coach Gaurav Khanna was a proud coach at the end of the day with consistent results from his wards. “Our para shuttlers have yet again come out with great results. I am very happy with the way the players are delivering excellent results in back-to-back events. Though there’s still some work needed to be done and one of the main focuses will be on their fitness.“There are quite a few names who are doing really well in the recent tournaments. We have high hopes from promising names like Manisha Ramdass etc.”The Indian team will be next in action at the 4th Fazza Dubai 2022 Para-Badminton International that gets underway on Tuesday.—IANS

Top para shuttlers Pramod Bhagat and Tarun Dhillon clinched two gold medals each as the Indian team ended with a rich haul of 23 medals including seven gold medals at the 1st Bahrain Para-Badminton International Championships 2022.

Bahrain 2022 Para-Badminton: Bhagat, Dhillon Win Two Gold Each; Indian Contingent Finishes With 23 Medals

New Delhi (The Hawk): The Prime Minister interacted with Thomas Cup and Uber Cup team of the badminton champions, who shared their experiences from the Thomas Cup and Uber Cup. The players talked about different aspects of their game, life beyond badminton and more.Kidambi Srikanth talked about the great feeling among the player about being recognized by the Prime Minister in such a proud way. The Prime Minister asked the team captain about his leadership style and challenges. Srikanth told that individually, everyone was performing great and the task was to bring out their best as a team. He also expressed his happiness over the privilege of playing the crucial deciding match. On being asked by the Prime Minister about his world number 1 ranking and Gold in Thomas Cup, the ace shuttler said that both the milestones were his dreams and he is delighted to have achieved them. The Prime Minister said that due to not so great performance in earlier years, Thomas cup was not very much talked about and he said it took sometime in the country to sink in the enormity of the achievement of this team. The Prime Minister said “On behalf of the entire country I congratulate you and your entire team as after decades, Indian flag has been firmly planted. This not a small feat…Keeping the nerve and team together under the tremendous pressure is something that I can understand very well. I congratulated you on phone but now I am feeling the joy of complimenting you in person”.Satwiksairaj Rankireddy conveyed the elation and tribulation of the last ten days. He recalled the memorable support that he got from the team and support staff. He said that the team is still re-living the moments of victory. The Prime Minister shared their happiness and recalled the tweets of the team members who slept with their medal on them, totally sleepless with joy. Rankireddy also explained the review of performance with his coaches. The Prime Minister complimented his adaptability according to the situation. The Prime Minister wished him well for future goals.Chirag Shetty also narrated his journey of the tournament and recalled coming to PM residence with Olympic Contingent. The Prime Minister said that he noted the disappointment among few players when some of them could not win a medal at the Olympics. However, he also recalled that the players were determined and now they have proved all the expectation correct. “One defeat is not the end, one needs determination and passion in life. Victory is natural outcome for such people, you have shown that”, he said. The Prime Minister told the team that they will win many more medals in the course of time. The have to play a lot and bloom (khelna bhi hai khilna bhi hai) and have to take the country into the world of sports. “Now India can’t lag behind. Your victories are inspiring the generations for sports”, The Prime Minister added.The Prime Minister thanked Lakshya Sen for bringing ‘Bal Mithai’ as promised during the telephone call immediately after the victory. Lakshya recalled that he earlier met the Prime Minister after winning in Youth Olympics and now after Thomas Cup wins. He said that players feel deeply motivated after such meetings. “I want to keep winning medals for India and keep meeting you like this”, said the young badminton ace. The Prime Minister inquired about the bout of food poisoning that Lakshya faced during the tournament.&nbsp;When asked about his advice for young children who are taking up the sport, Lakshya asked them to devote their full attention to training. The Prime Minister asked Lakshya to recall his strength and balance that he deployed when faced with the trauma of food poisoning and remember the lessons learnt for harnessing his strength and resolve.HS Prannoy said that this is even a more proud moment as the team could win the prestigious tournament in the 75th&nbsp;year of India’s independence. He said that pressure was immense in the quarter final and semi-final and he was happy that that could be overcome due to the support of the team.&nbsp;The Prime Minister recognized the warrior in Prannoy and said that his attitude for victory is his great strength. Prime Minister greeted the youngest of the lot, Unnati Hooda who complimented the Prime Minister for never discriminating between medallists and non-medallists. The Prime Minister praised her determination and asked about the special quality of Haryana soil that produces so many quality athletes. Unnati replied that diet of ‘Doodh Dhai’ is the main factor to the delight of everyone present. The Prime Minister told her that he firmly believes that Unnati will shine as&nbsp;her name indicates. He told her that she has a long way to go and she should never allow victories to make her feel complacent.Treesa Jolly told about the excellent family support she received for her sporting quest. The Prime Minister said that the country is proud of the way that our women team played in the Uber Cup.In conclusion, the Prime Minister said that this team has infused tremendous energy in the country by winning the Thomas cup. A long wait of seven decades finally came to an end. ‘Whosoever understands Badminton, must have dreamt about this, a dream that has been fulfilled by you’ “Such successes inject great energy and confidence in the entire sporting ecosystem of the country. Your victory has done something that cannot be accomplished by greatest of the coaches or the oratory of the leaders”, Shri Modi said.Referring to Uber Cup, the Prime Minister said while we wait for victory we will also make arrangement for that. He expressed the belief that the quality athletes of the present team will soon get better results. “Our women team has shown their time and again their class. It is just a matter of time, if not this time, next time we will surely win”, he added.In the 75th&nbsp;year of Independence, these victories and reaching the peak of success fills every Indian with great pride. He said ‘I can do it’ is the mood of New India. More than bothering about the competition, it is important to focus on one’s own performance, he said. He said now pressure of expectation will increase which is alright and they should not cave under the pressure of the expectations of the country. “We need to convert pressure into energy. We should treat it as encouragement”, he saidIn the last 7-8 years, the Prime Minister pointed out, our players have created new records. He noted the sterling performances in Olympics, Paralympics and Deaflympics. Today, mindset is changing with regard to sports, he said. A new atmosphere is coming up. “This is like a golden chapter in India’s sporting history and champions like you and players of your generation are the authors of this. We need to keep this momentum going”, The Prime Minister assured the athletes of the country all the support.

The Prime Minister interacted with Thomas Cup and Uber Cup team of the badminton champions, who shared their experiences from the Thomas Cup and Uber Cup. The players talked about different aspects of their game, life beyond badminton and more.

PM interacts with Thomas Cup and Uber Cup team

Thailand: P V Sindhu faltered in the semi-finals of the Thailand Open, going down in straight games to Olympic champion and world number four Chen Yu Fei of China in Bangkok on Saturday. Sindhu, a two-time Olympic medallist, lost 17-21, 16-21 to third seeded Chen in 43 minutes to end an impressive run in the Super 500 tournament.Sindhu, seeded sixth, enjoyed a 6-4 head-to-head count coming into the match but she was not her usual best and committed too many unforced errors against the Chinese, who played aggressive badminton to come up trumps against the Indian.The 26-year-old from Hyderabad had also lost to Chen the last time the two faced off at the 2019 BWF World Tour Finals. Sindhu was the first to log points but Chen strengthened her defence and kept the rallies alive with her overall game to push the Indian to commit errors. After an initial 3-3 battle, Chen broke off with a cross court slice on her rival's forehand. Looking for precision, Sindhu fluffed the lines and Chen was spot on with her video referrals as she led 11-7 at the interval in the first game.Things didn't change much as Chen continued to dominate the rallies with Sindhu finding the net and going wide and long, the Chinese managed to extend her lead to 17-12. Sindhu won a few points with a couple of precise cross court returns on Chen's backhand to make it 15-17 but the Chinese disposed off a short lift from Sindhu next to break the run of play. The Indian again sent the shuttle long and then to the net to hand five game points to Chen, who squandered two before pocketing the first game with Sindhu again finding the net. The World No 7 Indian produced a better show in the second game, leading 6-3 before making it 10-5. But Chen soon found her bearings as she mixed her shots well to gather three successive points.Sindhu, however, managed to go into the break with a narrow two-point cushion after wining a 25-shot rally. But the World No 4 soon tightened her game and turned the tables as Sindhu continued her erroneous run, allowing Chen to move to a 15-12 advantage. Sindhu managed to narrow it to 15-17 with a precise return that just kissed the lines but she again went wide with a cross court return. Chen then produced a winner on Sindhu's forehand before sending another one at the forecourt to grab five match points. The Chinese squandered one with a long shot before sealing the contest with a body smash.Sindhu, who has won two Super 300 titles at the Syed Modi International and Swiss Open and a bronze at Badminton Asia Championships this season, will next compete at the Indonesia Masters Super 500 scheduled to be held in Jakartka from June 7 to 12.—PTI

P V Sindhu faltered in the semi-finals of the Thailand Open, going down in straight games to Olympic champion and world number four Chen Yu Fei of China in Bangkok on Saturday.

Sindhu loses in Thailand Open semis

Tokyo: Paralympic champion Pramod Bhagat secured two golds to lead the Indian badminton team's medal rush at the Bahrain Para Badminton International in Manama on Saturday. Bhagat received a walkover from arch-rival Daniel Bethell of England in the men's singles SL3 final, while he paired up with Manisha Ramdass to outwit Thailand's Siripong Teamarrom and Saensupa Nipada 21-14 21-11 in the summit clash of mixed doubles SL3-SU5 class. World number one Bhagat, who had settled for two bronze medals in the Brazil Para Badminton International recently, registered a convincing 21-16 21-14 win over compatriot and Paralympic bronze medallist Manoj Sarkar in the SL3 semifinals.Tarun Dhillon also secured a gold after beating Korea's Shin Kyung Hwan 21-9 21-9 in the men's singles SL4 final. The Indian had notched up a 21-14 21-15 win over Thailand's Siripong Teamarrom in the semifinals.In women's singles, Mandeep Kaur (SL3) lost 5-21 17-21 to Halime Yildiz to sign off with a silver medal. She had pulled off a shocking 21-18 21-14 win over top seed and compatriot Manasi Joshi in the semifinals.Among others, Dhillon and Nitesh Kumar also registered a win in the men's doubles SL3-SH4 semifinals, defeating Korean Hwan and Joo Dongjae in straight games 21-18 21-18 and will take on Thailand's Mongjon Bunsun and Siripong Teamarrom in final.In women's events, Ramdass (SU5) and Mandeep Kaur (SL3) reached the final of women's doubles SL3-SU5 class.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;The second seeded pair of Kaur and Ramdass, who has a gold together from the Brazil Para Badminton International, will face the Paralympic duo of Palak Kohli and Parul Parmar in the final.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Parmar, however, lost to Turkey's Halime Yildiz 21-5 21-18 in her women's singles SL3 semifinals.&nbsp;Among other Indian finalists are Nithya Sre Sumathy Sivan, who defeated Thailand's Chai Saeyang 21-13 21-18 in the women's singles SH6 last-four round.Chirag Baretha and Raj Kumar also made it to the final of men's doubles SU5 event, as did Dhinagaran Pandurangan and Sivarajan Solaimalai in doubles.—PTI

Paralympic champion Pramod Bhagat secured two golds to lead the Indian badminton team's medal rush at the Bahrain Para Badminton International in Manama on Saturday.