After narrow loss to Denmark, Indian women set up crucial clash against China
Punjab Newsline | Sports
The Indian women’s badminton team delivered a commanding performance at the Uber Cup 2026 in Horsens, Denmark, defeating Ukraine 4–1 to keep their quarterfinal hopes alive. After suffering a close 2–3 defeat against hosts Denmark in their opening tie, the Indian side showed resilience and composure to stage an impressive comeback, boosting team morale ahead of a decisive encounter.
India got off to a solid start with Unnati Hooda clinching the opening singles match. She defeated Ukraine’s Polina Buhrova in straight games 21–19, 22–20, giving India an early 1–0 lead. Building on that momentum, Junior World Championship silver medallist Tanvi Sharma produced a strong performance against Yevheniia Kantemyr. In a hard-fought three-game contest, Tanvi won 21–12, 17–21, 21–10 to extend India’s advantage to 2–0.
In this tie, the team management opted to rest star shuttler PV Sindhu in singles, providing an opportunity to Devika Sihag. Rising to the occasion, Devika justified the decision by defeating Mariia Stoliarenko 23–21, 21–13. Her victory sealed the tie for India, giving them an unassailable 3–0 lead.
India faced a minor setback in the first women’s doubles match, where the pair of Kavipriya Selvam and Simran Singhi went down 11–21, 17–21 against the Ukrainian duo. However, the final doubles match saw a strong comeback. The experienced pairing of PV Sindhu and Tanisha Crasto displayed excellent coordination and control, defeating Sofiia Lavrova and Stoliarenko 21–18, 21–15 to complete a dominant 4–1 win for India.
With this victory, India has strengthened its position in Group A. The team will now face defending champions China in their final group-stage match on Monday. The clash is crucial, as only the top two teams from the group will progress to the knockout stage. India will need to deliver its best performance against a strong Chinese side to secure a spot in the quarterfinals.