Asia Mixed Team: India Head in With Big Guns

Having narrowly missed a chance to take down China at the last edition, India have a full-strength squad for the TSINGTAO Badminton Asia Mixed Team Championship 2025 starting tomorrow. Given that several of the other strong contenders arrive with young teams, the Indians might have set their sights on going all the way this time.

In 2023, India fought back from 0-2 down against China to take the semifinal tie to the fifth match in Dubai, but the eventual champions withstood the pressure to make the final, where they beat Korea 3-1.

Treesa Jolly and Gayatri Gopichand Pullela

India, grouped with Korea and Macau China this time, have packed all their big guns, with HS Prannoy, Lakshya Sen, Chirag Shetty, Satwiksairaj Rankireddy, Tanisha Crasto, Ashwini Ponnappa, Treesa Jolly and Gayatri Gopichand Pullela in the squad.

Defending champions China are in tricky Group A with Chinese Taipei and Singapore. Interestingly for China, Chen Yu Fei and Chen Qing Chen return after a hiatus, and will be the senior pros in the lineup.

Chinese Taipei boast several world-beaters among the men, with players like Wang Chi-Lin, Yang Po-Hsuan, Lee Jhe-Huei and Lin Chun-Yi. While they may be lean in some departments, their firepower in the paired events makes them dangerous opponents for even the Chinese.

Similarly, Group B has two strong contenders and familiar rivals in Indonesia and Malaysia, besides Hong Kong China. Both Malaysia and Indonesia are missing several frontline campaigners, but Malaysia can bank on senior pros Goh Soon Huat/Lai Shevon Jemie to inspire their younger compatriots.

A new-look Japan team, spearheaded by rising star Tomoka Miyazaki, will look to make an impact.

After winning the inaugural edition in 2017 and finishing runners-up to China in 2019, Japan crashed out of the quarterfinals in the next edition.

Missing many of their regulars, Japan will rely on Kenta Nishimoto (men’s singles) and Miyazaki (women’s singles) to challenge the other Asian powerhouses. They can also bank on women’s doubles No.6 Rin Iwanaga/Kie Nakanishi, recent India Open champions Arisa Igarashi/Ayako Sakuramoto and mixed doubles No.12 Hiroki Midorikawa/Natsu Saito.

Japan are in Group C with Thailand and Kazakhstan, and will look to avenge their quarterfinals defeat to the Thais in the last edition.

However, the Thais have packed several of their big names, including Sapsiree Taerattanachai, Pornpawee Chochuwong, Busanan Ongbamrungphan and the Aimsaard sisters Benyapa and Nuntakarn.

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