India lose to Japan 0-3 in quarterfinals of Badminton Asia Mixed Team Championship

India’s H. S. Prannoy. File
| Photo Credit: SHIV KUMAR PUSHPAKAR

HS Prannoy fought valiantly, but India went down 0-3 to a second-string Japan in the quarterfinals of the Badminton Asia Mixed Team Championships to end their campaign on a disappointing note on Friday (February 14, 2025).

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India, the 2023 bronze medalists in Dubai, struggled to find their rhythm, suffering a comprehensive defeat against the 2017 edition champions Japan.

In the opening match, the mixed doubles pair of Dhruv Kapila and Tanisha Crasto showed resilience but ultimately lost 13-21, 21-17, 13-21 to 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 number 8 following her triumph at the 2022 World Junior Championships.

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, eventually going down 12-21, 19-21, leaving India 0-2 behind.

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 number 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.