Qingdao, China, February 14 – India’s campaign at the Badminton Asia Mixed Team Championship 2025 came to a disappointing end, as the team suffered a 0-3 loss to a second-string Japan squad in the quarter-finals on Friday.
Despite being the bronze medalists in the 2023 edition held in Dubai, India struggled to find momentum and was outclassed by 2017 champions Japan, who were missing several of their top-ranked players.
The quarter-final clash began with Dhruv Kapila and Tanisha Crasto in the mixed doubles event, where they faced Hiroki Midorikawa and Natsu Saito. The Indian pair lost in three sets with a scoreline of 13-21, 21-17, 13-21, giving Japan an early lead.
With PV Sindhu absent due to injury, India's women’s singles hopes rested on Malvika Bansod, who took on Tomoka Miyazaki. Bansod fought hard but fell short in straight sets, 12-21, 19-21, putting India in a 0-2 deficit.
The responsibility to keep India alive in the tournament was on HS Prannoy, but the 32-year-old shuttler, who has struggled for form this season, couldn't sustain the pressure against world No. 16 Kenta Nishimoto. After a grueling one hour and 17-minute battle, Nishimoto secured a 21-14, 15-21, 21-12 victory, sealing Japan’s 3-0 win and India's elimination.
The defeat was particularly disappointing for India, considering that Japan had fielded a relatively weaker squad without their top-ranked players. India's early exit highlights the team's ongoing struggles and inconsistencies on the international stage, despite promising performances in past editions.
