Mumbai, Mar 19: India’s men’s badminton team has received a favourable draw for the upcoming Thomas Cup, boosting its chances of reaching the knockout stages, while the women’s team faces a far tougher challenge in the Uber Cup.
Placed in Group A, the Indian men’s team will compete alongside defending champions China, Canada, and Australia. While China remains a strong contender and a serious test, India is expected to comfortably outperform Canada and Australia, making qualification for the quarterfinals a realistic target.
Led by Lakshya Sen, who recently finished runner-up at the All England Championship, the Indian squad enters the tournament with momentum and growing confidence. Having won the Thomas Cup in 2022, India will look to replicate that success, though consistency against top-tier teams like China remains the real benchmark.
The tournament, scheduled from April 24 to May 3 in Horsens, Denmark, will see the top two teams from each group advance to the quarterfinals. Beyond China, India’s path in the group stage appears relatively straightforward — but that doesn’t guarantee anything beyond qualification. The real test begins in the knockouts, where margins get brutally thin.
In contrast, the Indian women’s team faces a far more demanding draw in the Uber Cup. They are grouped with 16-time champions China, strong European side Denmark, and Ukraine. To qualify, India will need to outperform at least two teams in a highly competitive pool — a significantly tougher ask compared to the men’s draw.
Elsewhere, traditional powerhouses and emerging teams are set for intense battles across groups. Indonesia, the most successful team in Thomas Cup history, finds itself in a challenging group alongside France and Thailand, both capable of causing upsets.
Badminton Association of India secretary general Sanjay Mishra expressed optimism, stating that India has the capability to reach the quarterfinals in both competitions. But that’s a safe, diplomatic answer — the reality is harsher. The men should qualify. If they don’t, it’s failure. The women, on the other hand, will have to punch above their weight just to survive the group stage.
India has already proven it can win at the highest level, but repeating that success will depend on handling pressure, delivering against elite opponents, and avoiding complacency against weaker teams.
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