# India show Singapore the exit in Group D
# Japan crush Philippines 5-0 in Group C
# Malaysia to play Indonesia to decide Group B champions
By Rizal Abdullah
After their crushing 5-0 win over Sri Lanka in their first match fourth seeds Malaysia are ready to face Indonesia on Thursday to decide the Group B champions in the inaugural Robot Badminton Asia Mixed Team Championships in Ho Chi Minh City.
In the three-team Group C the Indonesians handed Sri Lanka another 5-0 beating on Wednesday to set up the decider the first and second spots. The top two teams in each group will advance to the quarter-finals. The quarter-final draw will be made after the completion of the group matches on Thursday,
Indonesia’s Muhammad Bayu Pangisthu, who played the men’s singles against Niluka Karunaratne and won 21-14, 21-18,to give Indonesia the first point, said:
“It will be much tougher playing Malaysia compared to Sri Lanka. Except for teams like China, Korea, Japan and Thailand others have come with their younger players. Malaysia are known to produce badminton talent just like Indonesia.
“I am not sure if I will be fielded against Malaysia as it will depend on the match strategies by the coaches…but I will be up to the challenge if I am asked to play.
“This is a team event where we have to give our best for the country…you have to forget about glory
Indonesia are expected to field their experienced men;s doubles pair of Angga Pratama-Ricky Karanda Suwardi against Malaysia’s Goh Sze Fei-Nur Izzuddin who were runners-up in the recent Malaysia Masters in Sibu, Sarawak.
Angga-Ricky outplayed Dinuka Karunaratna-Niluka Karunaratne 21-6, 21-13 for Indonesia’s third point after Hanna Ramadini won her singles match against Thilini Pramodika Hendahewa 21-13, 22-20.
Indonesia also easily won their women’s doubles through Anggia Shitta Awanda-Mahadewi Istirani Ni Ketut and the mixed doubles through Edi Subaktiar-Gloria Widjaja to complete their rout.
Meanwhile, India handed Singapore a 4-1 defeat in a Group D match to advance to the knockout stage. The defeat to India was Singapore’s second in the group having lost to Korea 5-0 in the first match on Tuesday.
It was a bad start for India against Singapore when Pranaav Jerry Chopra-N. Sikki Reddy – the Syed Modi Grand Prix champions – suffered 23-21, 21-17 defeat to Terry Hee Yong Kai-Tan Wei Han the mixed doubles.
Singapore, however, failed to ride on this win and India were back in the picture when Sameer Verma won his men’s singles match against Loh Kean Yew 21-9, 21-16 to tie the score at 1-1.
Manu Attri-B. Sumeeth Reddy, who became the first Indians to play in the men’s doubles in the Olympics (Rio) had no difficulty in their 21-12, 21-17 win over Danny Bawa Chrisnanta-Hendra Wijaya for a 2-1 lead.
Singapore’s China-born Liang Xiaoyu was upset by young Rituparna Das 23-21, 21-18 for India to lead 3-1. In the final match of the day Ashwini Ponnappa-N. Sikki Reddy came from a set down for a 19-21, 21-17, 21-17 win over Ong Ren-Ne-Crystal Wong Jia Ying to finalise the score at 4-1.
Earlier in a Group C match Thailand romped home to an easy 5-0 win over the Philippines while Japan crushed hosts Vietnam by a similar scoreline in the same group
RESULTS (Wed Feb 15)
GROUP C
JAPAN 5 VIETNAM 0
(Japan first)
MS: Kazumasa Sakai beat Phm Cao Cuong 21-11, 21-3
WS: Sayaka Sato beat Nguyen Thuy Linh 21-16, 21-13
MD: Endo Hiroyuki-Yuta Watanabe beat Do Tuan Duc-Pha Hong Nam 21-8, 21-10
WD: Shiho Tanaka-Koharu Yonemoto beat beat Nguyen Thi Sen-Vu Thi Trang 21-5, 21-3
XD: Kanta Kazuno-Ayane Kurihara beat Do Tuan Duc-Le Thu Huyen 21-11, 21-18
THAILAND 5 PHILIPPINES 0
(Thailand first)
MS: Adulrach Namkul beat Ros Leonard Pedrosa 21-7, 21-14
WS: Nitchaon Jindapol beat Sarah Joy Barredo 21-5, 21-13
MD: Kittinupong Kedren-Dechapol Puavaranukrh beat Carlos Antonie Cayanan-Philip Joper Escueta 21-14, 21-11
WD: Puttita Supajirakul-Sapsire Taerattanachai beat Alyssa Yasbel Loenardo-Thea Marie Pomar 21-9, 21-0
GROUP D
INDIA 4 SINGAPORE 1
(India first)
MS: Sameer Verma beat Loh Kean Yew 21-9, 21-16
WS: Rituparna Das beat Xiaoyu Liang 23-21, 21-18
MD: Manu Attri-B. Sumeeth Reddy beat Danny Bawa Chrisnanta-Hendra Wijaya 21-12, 21-17
WD: Ashwini Ponnappa-N. Sikki Reddy beat Ong Re-Ne-Crystal Wong Jia Ying 19-21, 21-17, 21-17
XD: Pranaav Jerry Chopra-N. Sikki Reddy lost to Terry Hee Yong Kai-Tan Wei Han 21-23, 17-21
