BWF Uber Cup: Indian women’s team lose 5-0 to China in final league tie

The Indian women’s badminton team ended the group stages of the ongoing BWF Uber Cup in second place after going down 0-5 to China in their final Group A fixture in Chengdu, China, on Tuesday.

An under-strength Indian team went into the tie without Ashmita Chaliha and they were no match to the 15-time champions. Adding to India’s woes, young shutter Anmol Kharb sustained an ankle injury during her match and had to retire midway.

The Indian women’s team has already qualified for the quarter-finals after posting wins over Canada and Singapore. The match between India and China decided on who would emerge the group topper, and China did it without breaking a sweat.

The young and inexperienced Indian team were subjected to a reality check as they couldn’t win a single game in the entire tie.

China started off on an aggressive note when Olympic champion and World No. 2 Chen Yu Fei beat Isharani Baruah 21-12 21-10 in quick time. A host of unforced errors did Baruah in, as she was found wanting on many occasions, especially in trying to keep up with the pace of the match.

National champions Priya Konjengbam and Shruti Mishra, ranked 67 in the world, were no match for World Champions Chen Qing Chen and Jia Yi Fan. The Indians couldn’t muster anything as China walked away with another 21-13 21-12 win.

The 17-year-old Anmol was also found searching for many answers in her short game. She lost the first game 9-21 to Han Yue, and in the second, when she was at 1-4, the 17-year-old rolled her right ankle while trying to defend a point. She received medical attention, but she had to retire from the match, giving China a 3-0 unassailable lead.

It was then just a matter of time before China ran away with a 5-0 lead, with Simran Singh, Ritika Thaker and Tanvi Sharma losing their respective matches.

Speaking post her match, Isharani Baruah, ranked 83 in the world, said it was a tough game and there were plenty of leanings from the tie. “I am a little disappointed in my game because I made too many errors. I thought I would play well with her, but it was an easy win for her. The pace was really high, so I had to increase my speed. Her variations were good, and all her strokes were going in the third court, and it wasn’t comfortable to hit well. It was a tough game, but it was a good experience,” she said.