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India continue hot streak at Guangzhou tournament

China’s Lin Dan competes against Japan’s Sho Sasaki at the Sudirman Cup World Team Badminton Championships on Tuesday in Guangzhou, China. PHOTO: AFP

India continued their swashbuckling form at badminton’s Sudirman Cup yesterday, winning their third match out of three to finish top of their group and storm into the promotion play-offs.

They beat Scotland 5-0 at the world mixed team championships in Guangzhou, China, having seen off Australia and Ukraine in similarly emphatic fashion. India now go into the play-offs today as they endeavour to get promoted to group two.

Arvind Bhat was in especially fine form for India, needing just 28 minutes to beat Gordon Thomson in the men’s singles, 21-15, 21-16.

In group two, Poland beat Russia 3-2 and Singapore defeated the Netherlands 4-1.

In the second session yesterday, South Korea were to play Hong Kong and England were due to face Japan in the elite group, while Taiwan were scheduled to go up against Thailand in the second tier.

In a late game on Tuesday China mauled Japan’s inexperienced side 5-0.

In the other elite tie on Tuesday evening, South Korea beat Denmark to confirm that, along with Indonesia, they have what it takes to at least make China work hard for what would be their seventh Sudirman Cup triumph.

With the tournament going to form so far, it is difficult to see anyone else but holders China lifting the trophy on Sunday, especially with the vocal home support firmly behind them.

Chinese idol Lin Dan was in typically extravagant form as he easily beat Sho Sasaki, at one point returning a shot while he had both knees planted on the floor.

South Korea, driven by their doubles teams, made it two wins out of two in beating Denmark 4-1.

Meanwhile, Denmark’s men’s world No 2 Peter Gade is a doubt for his country’s next match after he was taken to a hospital suffering a severe headache, a team coach said yesterday.

Gade, 32, who secured Denmark’s only point in their 4-1 defeat by South Korea on Tuesday, complained of having a headache during his 21-16, 21-18 defeat of Park Sung-hwan.

But Denmark assistant coach Kenneth Jonassen said tests showed it was nothing more than a migraine, adding Gade was recovering but it was too early to say if he would be well enough to play against Malaysia today.

“He’s feeling much better and is relaxing in his room today,” Jonassen said.

“Nobody would have blamed him of he had conceded the game yesterday, but he kept fighting for himself and his country,” he said. “He’s a warrior.”
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