BAI President welcomes historic Thomas Cup trophy in India for the first time

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New Delhi, June 30, 2023: The Badminton Association of India (BAI) on Friday (June 30) received the historic Thomas Cup trophy which India lifted for the first time in the tournamen's 73-year-long history.

BAI President Dr. Himanta Biswa Sarma and General Secretary Sanjay Mishra welcomed the glittering prestigious trophy in New Delhi on behalf of the triumphant Indian squad.

"My heart swells with pride as I welcome the historic Thomas Cup trophy today in Delhi. Kudos to every team member and all support staff for realising the dream of winning the first-ever Thomas Cup after 72 years of its inception. Many congratulations," the BAI President Sarma tweeted.

A squad comprising of Kidambi Srikanth, HS Prannoy, Lakshya Sen, Priyanshu Rajawat, Satwiksairaj Rankireddy, Chirag Shetty, MR Arjun, Dhruv Kapila, Krishna Prasad Garaga and Vishnuvardhan Goud Panjala helped India lift the title in 2022.

The Indian team finished second in Group C behind Chinese Taipei in the group that also included Germany and Canada. In the knockout stages, they had to defeat former champions.

First they defeated five-time champions Malaysia in the quarterfinal, and then one-time champion Denmark in the semifinal to reach the final to face the record champions.

India thrashed 14-time champions Indonesia in a high-voltage final in May last year as they emerged as the only sixth nation to lift the coveted trophy. This sensational triumph has also ushered a new era for Indian badminton.