Badminton Asia Team Championships 2024: Indian women’s team reaches maiden final with 3-2 win over Japan

In a historic achievement, the Indian women’s badminton team advanced to the final of the Badminton Asia Team Championships by defeating two-time champions Japan in a thrilling semifinal, 3-2.

PV Sindhu took charge, starting the match against Japan’s Aya Ohori. The Indian ace fought hard but in the end, Ohori won over Sindhu in two straight sets, 21-17, 22-20, to secure Japan’s first point.

With India behind 0-1, the burden was on Treesa-Gayathri to assist them fight their way back into the tie. Taking on the Japanese duo of Matsuyama-Shida, the Indians went all the way, bringing the game to three sets before grabbing the win in a nail-biter that finished 21-17, 16-21, 22-20 to bring India back to 1-1.

India were on track to maintain its momentum when Ashmita Chaliha gave an unexpected shock to former world champion Nozomi Okuhara, clinching the game 21-17, 21-14 and giving India a 2-1 lead.

Japan, on the other hand, was not about to go softly into the night without a fight. Miyaura-Sakuramoto came out firing against India’s Sindhu-Ponappa team, defeating the Indians in two sets of 21-14, 21-11 to level the game at 2-2 and force a final game.

It was all or nothing for Anmol Kharb, who was again charged with assisting India in securing the victory that would advance them to the finals this time. And she delivered, defeating Japan’s Nidaira Natsuki in two straight games of 21-14, 21-18 to win the last game and send India to the finals.

This website uses cookies to improve your experience. We'll assume you're ok with this, but you can opt-out if you wish. Accept Privacy & Cookies Policy