Kidambi Srikanth created history by smashing Jonatan Christie by 21-15, 23-21.
New Delhi: In a most proud moment for the country, the Indian men’s Badminton team on Sunday made history by clinching first ever gold. The Indian team, in a stunning performance, beat 14-time champions and holders Indonesia in the final and won their maiden gold medal. The Indian men’s team had reached the final for the first time. The team scripted history by defeating the Indonesian team by 3-0.
Winning saga started when Lakshya Sen beat Anthony Ginting, a bronze medal winner in the Tokyo Olympics. Then, badminton stars Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty took a lead of 2-0 by beating Mohammad Ahsan and Kevin Sanjaya Sukamuljo 18-21, 23-21, 21-19. On Sunday, Kidambi Srikanth created history by smashing Jonatan Christie by 21-15, 23-21.
Congratulating the team for winning the title first ever, Prime Minister Narendra Modi tweeted, “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.”
The President of India also wished the winning team by tweeting, “Heartiest congratulations to the Indian badminton team for first-ever Thomas Cup victory! The team has created history, setting highest standards for the future. I have high appreciation for the skills, resilience & temperament shown by the team. India is proud of the champions.”
Union Sports Minister Anu8rag Thakur also congratulated Team India. Praising the team, he tweeted, “Congratulations to the Indian men’s badminton team’s for winning the Thomas Cup! This extraordinary feat, with succesive victories over Malaysia, Denmark and Indonesia, calls for matching honour by the nation. As #TeamIndia defeats 14-time #ThomasCup Champions Indonesia ( 3-0 ) to win its 1️⃣st ever #ThomasCup2022, @IndiaSports is proud to announce a cash award of ₹ 1 crore for the team in relaxation of rules to acknowledge this unparalleled feat!”