Wait for gold goes on as Japan drub India 3-0 in quarters

qingdao: Without the services of an injured PV Sindhu, India will face an uphill task in pursuit of an elusive gold medal at the Badminton Asia Mixed Team Championships which get underway here on Tuesday.

Qingdao: HS Prannoy fought valiantly but India succumbed to a 0-3 defeat against a second-string Japan in the quarterfinals of the Badminton Asia Mixed Team Championships, ending their campaign on a disappointing note here on Friday.

India, the 2023 bronze medallists in Dubai, struggled to find their rhythm, and trailed 0-1 after going down in the mixed doubles.

Dhruv Kapila and Tanisha Crasto, ranked 37th in the world, showed resilience before going down 13-21 21-17 13-21 to world No. 12 Hiroki Midorikawa and Natsu Saito.

With PV Sindhu sidelined due to a hamstring injury, India faced an uphill task against Tomoka Miyazaki, who has quickly risen to world No. 8 following her triumph at the 2022 World Junior Championships.

World No. 31 Malvika Bansod, stepping in for Sindhu, put up a brave fight, especially in the second game, but struggled to match the control and consistency of her younger opponent and lost 12-21 19-21. India trailed 0-2.

Despite some good net play from the left-handed Indian, Miyazaki’s cross-court drops and winners kept Malvika on the back foot.

It all came down to Prannoy to keep India alive, but despite a determined effort, the 32-year-old, returning after a long break and struggling with early-season form, couldn’t sustain the pressure against world No. 16 Kenta Nishimoto.

The Japanese star sealed the rubber with a 21-14 15-21 21-12 victory in 1 hour and 17 minutes. India will be disappointed with the loss, especially as Japan did not field their full-strength team, with several top players absent.