The Indian women and men’s badminton teams started off their 2024 Badminton Asia Team Championships with wins over China and Hong Kong respectively in Shah Alam, Malaysia on Wednesday.

While the women’s team led by PV Sindhu had to work hard for a 3-2 win, the men’s team cruised to a 4-1 victory against Hong Kong.

The Indian women’s team, who were already assured of a knockout berth with only two teams in Group W, started off well against the top seeds with Sindhu winning the first singles tie 21-17, 21-15 against Han Yue in 40 minutes.

Sindhu, who marked a return to the court for the first time since October last year, won the first game comfortably but was trailing 10-13 in the decider. The double Olympic champion, however, won 11 out of the final 13 points in the contest to help India to an early lead in the match.

China, however, soon hit back as their women’s doubles pair of Liu Sheng Shu and Tan Ning got the better of India’s Ashwini Ponnappa and Tanisha Crasto 21-19, 16-21.

The Indian pair led 19-18 in the opening game, but failed to take advantage as they conceded the tie.

China further extended their lead with Wang Zhi Yi making light work of Ashmita Chaliha in the second women’s singles tie for a 21-13, 21-15 win in just 36 minutes.

However, the second women’s doubles pair of Treesa Jolly and Gayatri Gopichand then fought back from a game down against the world No 22 combination of Li Yi Jing and Luo Xu Min to win 10-21, 21-18, 21-17 in an hour and nine minutes to help India draw level.

All eyes were then on national champion Anmol Kharb, who was playing in the competition for the first time.

In a closely contested opening game, the 17-year-old kept her nerves under pressure to convert her second game point and draw first blood against Wu Luo Yu.

It looked like the pressure was getting to the teenager as she lost the second game and trailed 1-5 at the start of the third.

However, Kharb stuck to her game plan and wrapped up the tie with three straight points to win 22-20, 14-21, 21-18 to help the Indian women’s team to their first win over China.

Indian men beat Hong Kong

Later in the day, the Indian men’s team beat Hong Kong 4-1 after recovering from a 18-21, 14-21 HS Prannoy loss to Ng Ka Long Angus in the opening men’s singles tie of the match.

The men’s doubles pair of Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty helped India draw level with a 21-16, 21-11 win over Lui Chun Wai and Yeung Shing Choi before Lakshya Sen extended their lead with an easy 21-14, 21-9 win against Chan Yik Chak.

The second men’s doubles pair of Dhruv Kapila and MR Arjun then wrapped up the tie for India with 21-12, 21-7 win over Chow Hin Long and Hung Kuei Chun.

Later, former world No 1 Kidambi Srikanth won the final men’s singles dead rubber 21-14, 21-18 against Jason Gunawan.

The Indian men’s team will now take on China in their second group stage encounter on Thursday.