New Delhi, May 15: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday spoke with the badminton team that won the Thomas Cup and congratulated the players.
The Prime Minister also wrote on Twitter that the win will motivate many upcoming sports persons. “The Indian badminton team has scripted history ! The entire nation is elated by India winning the Thomas Cup ! Congratulations to our accomplished team and best wishes to them for their future endeavours. This win will motivate so many upcoming sportspersons,” he said on Twitter.
Union Minister for Youth Affairs and Sports Anurag Singh Thakur on Sunday announced an award of Rs 1 crore to Indian men’s badminton team, which created history by winning the coveted Thomas Cup for the first time with a spectacular 3-0 victory over 14-time champion Indonesia in the final in Bangkok.
Thakur celebrated the victory with a spontaneous decision. “India’s extraordinary feat of winning the Thomas Cup with successive victories over Malaysia, Denmark and Indonesia in the play-offs called for a relaxation of rules. It is with pride that I announce the award of Rs 1 crore to the team that brought so much joy to the Indians this weekend,” he said.
He also complimented the players, coaches and support staff of the Indian team and said: “Kidambi Srikanth and HS Prannoykept a clean slate by winning each time they stepped on court. The doubles combination of Satwiksairakj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty raised the bar to win decisive points in five of the six matches, including all three in the knockout stage.”
“Lakshya Sen showed nerves of steel in winning the opening match against Indonesia. I am sure that doubles combination of MR Arjun and DhruvKapila ad Krishna Prasad Garaga and Panjala Vishnuvardhan Goud as well as Priyanshu Rajawatwill have gained immensely by being part of this historic campaign,” Thakur added.
Indian men’s badminton team scripted history as they lifted maiden Thomas Cup title after beating 14-time champion Indonesia 3-0 here in the final in Bangkok at Impact Arena. World championships silver medalist Kidambi Srikanth, who was in a red-hot form in the tournament, sealed the tie for India after registering 21-15, 23-21 win over Jonatan Christie in the third rubber.
It was young Lakshya Sen, who gave India a winning start with a come from-behind 8-21, 21-17, 21-16 win against world no 5 Anthony Ginting. This was his second successive win over the world no 5 Indonesian shuttler. The 20-year-old Indian had defeated Ginting in the German Open round-16 match in straight games 21-9, 21-9 earlier this year. Then, the men’s doubles joined the party and extended the lead 2-0 as they defeated the scratch pair of Mohammad Ahsan and Kevin Sanjaya Sukamlujo 18-21, 23-21, 21-19 in the second rubber before Srikanth took India to the historic win. Srikanth held a healthy 8-2 lead in the beginning of the first game but Jonatan equalised 8-all with six points in a row, before the Indian head on to breather with 11-9 advantage and extended it to 15-13 after the break. Then, Jonatan levelled it up 15-all but it was not enough for him to go past Srikanth as he earned six straight points to go a game up with 21 15 score.
Both the shuttlers fought toe-to-toe to held a lead in the second game but it was the Indian, who held 11-8 advantage at half way stage. The momentum kept swinging and the scores were 19-all. Then, Jonatan reached to game-point opportunity which was saved by Srikanth with his clever net play.
The Indonesian quickly took second game point which again saved by the Indian. The other moment, Srikanth earned a match-point opportunity, which he successfully converted into his favour by clinching the second game 23-21. Enroute to final, Indian men’s badminton team edged out Malaysia 3-2 to reach their first Thomas Cup semi-final in 43 years on Thursday following 3-2 win over Denmark in the semifinal to secure the maiden Thomas Cup final.
