Malaysia - players.bio

How HS Prannoy and Kidambi Srikanth proved to be the 'Zen masters' of India's Thomas Cup triumph

Bangkok, dressed in pristine whites, they numbered nine. The tenth member, Lakshya Sen, was already in Thailand; but the news about him was not good. He had flown in carrying a stomach bug he caught possibly from something he ate before boarding the flight from Bengaluru. Ten days later, Lakshya would turn up in India's first rubber of a dream Thomas Cup Final against Indonesia, He got hammered in the first game 8-21 by Tokyo Olympics bronze medallist Anthony Ginting. "I thought he would lose." That was Vimal Kumar's thought, sitting inside Bangkok's Impact Arena with the Indian squad. Lakshya, 'the baby of the team' who has grown in the past year to stun some of the finest exponents of the sport, went on to beat Ginting at his own game over the next 45 minutes. He won 8-21, 21-16, 21-17 to give India a rousing start.

Devine opens batting, Ecclestone leads attack: FairBreak Invitational team of tournament

The fact players from Thailand, Malaysia, the Netherlands and Nepal shone as brightly as ones from New Zealand and South Africa in Sunday’s FairBreak Invitational final showed the tournament had delivered on its promise.

HS Prannoy Tells NDTV How A WhatsApp Group Helped In India's Historic Thomas Cup Win

India made history on Sunday by winning the Thomas Cup for the first time with a stunning 3-0 win over defending champions Indonesia in the final. India, competing in their debut final of the men's team championship, sealed the title when Kidambi Srikanth defeated higher-ranked Jonatan Christie. With India clinching the title within the first three matches meant that HS Prannoy didn't get an opportunity to take the court. But the shuttler had played a crucial part in India even reaching the final, coming to the fore when the team needed a win the most. Speaking after the historic triumph, Prannoy, in an exclusive interview with NDTV, said that he had made a WhatsApp group by the name of 'It's coming home' and revealed that it played a big role in India's win.

Thomas Cup: This was the finest team to represent India, says Prakash Padukone

Thomas Cup victory is as big as it gets in terms of a team title in badminton. As a team's dream turned into reality, India's badminton legend Prakash Padukone underlined the passion, focus and dedication that goes into making a champion team. THOMAS CUP WIN: WISH TEAM INDIA"It is an unforgettable red-letter day for Indian badminton. We have now truly arrived on the big scene. It was a brilliant team effort on the whole. The performance of this team is not a flash in the pan, they have worked very hard for it. It is no small feat to beat Malaysia, Denmark and Indonesia in a week. Earlier, due to various factors like injuries and non-availability of players, we were unable to field the best team, but this was the finest team to represent India," said Padukone, who spearheaded the Indian team which reached the semifinals of the competition 43 years ago. The 66-year-old was all praise for the doubles pair of Satwik Sairaj and Chirag Shetty. The duo put India in a position of strength with their comeback 18-21, 23-21, 21-19 win over the famed pair of Md Ahsan and Kevin Sukamuljo.

"Want To Sleep But...": HS Prannoy Shares Pic With Thomas Cup Gold

The Indian men's badminton team scripted history on Sunday by winning a gold medal at the Thomas Cup for the very first time. Heading into the summit clash against Indonesia, odds were stacked against India as their opponents were the defending champions and had won the tournament 14 times. But in the final, Lakshya Sen, Chirag Shetty, Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Kidambi Srikanth brought their A-game to the court and India sealed the contest within the first three matches. HS Prannoy, who is also a member of the men's badminton team shared a picture with the gold medal on social media.

Thomas Cup: 2022 can be Indian badminton's equivalent of cricket's 1983, says Vimal Kumar

Vimal Kumar has seen Indian badminton travel through valleys and peaks. From Pullela Gopichand winning the All England to Saina Nehwal becoming world No.1 and PV Sindhu being crowned world champion, Vimal has witnessed it from the vantage point of a player, coach and manager. But when India slammed all the comeback doors on Indonesia in the Thomas Cup final on Sunday to be crowned champions, he said, "This is the best achievement of Indian badminton." Thomas Cup win: Wish Team IndiaAfter Malaysia in the quarterfinals and Denmark in the semis, India completed a hat-trick of giant-kills by stunning defending champions Indonesia 3-0. It was in a way reminiscent of India beating the mighty West Indies twice at the 1983 World Cup, including in the final, to win the trophy. Vimal didn't disagree.

Thomas Cup: BAI Announces Rs 1 Crore Prize Money For Players, Rs 20 Lakh For Support Staff

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.

PM Narendra Modi hails Thomas Cup triumph, invites shuttlers to his residence

Narendra Modi on Sunday termed the Thomas Cup triumph of the Indian badminton team as one of the country's finest sporting wins and invited the shuttlers to his residence on returning from Bangkok. The PM never forgets to applaud the achievements of athletes, and on Sunday, he promptly dialled the players to congratulate them on their stupendous success, thanked their parents for helping them develop into world beaters and doing the country proud with their exploits on the global stage.

Contacts

Malaysia Sport News

How HS Prannoy and Kidambi Srikanth proved to be the 'Zen masters' of India's Thomas Cup triumph

Devine opens batting, Ecclestone leads attack: FairBreak Invitational team of tournament

HS Prannoy Tells NDTV How A WhatsApp Group Helped In India's Historic Thomas Cup Win

Thomas Cup: This was the finest team to represent India, says Prakash Padukone

"Want To Sleep But...": HS Prannoy Shares Pic With Thomas Cup Gold

Thomas Cup: 2022 can be Indian badminton's equivalent of cricket's 1983, says Vimal Kumar

Thomas Cup: BAI Announces Rs 1 Crore Prize Money For Players, Rs 20 Lakh For Support Staff

PM Narendra Modi hails Thomas Cup triumph, invites shuttlers to his residence