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India make quarters of Sudirman Cup
India created history on Tuesday by advancing to the quarterfinals of the Sudirman Cup mixed team badminton championship after Chinese Taipei defeated Thailand 3-2 in the last group C tie in Qingdao, China.
India created history on Tuesday by advancing to the quarterfinals of the Sudirman Cup mixed team badminton championship after Chinese Taipei defeated Thailand 3-2 in the last group C tie in Qingdao, China.
Chinese Taipie have won both their ties in the three-nation group while India edged past Thailand on Monday to clinch its solitary win in the group stage.
But Thailand's defeat on Tuesday paved the way for India to enter the knockout stage of the prestigious tournament for the first time since its inception in 1989.
The format of the tournament was changed in 2009, which gave India a chance to compete in the elite level of the tournament on the basis of world ranking.
"We are very happy. It is a great effort by the entire team and a momentus occasion for us. I will give our best in the quarterfinals," Parupalli Kashyap, who engineered India's dramatic turnaround against Thailand by beating world number six Boonsak Ponsana, said.
The draw for the knockout stage of the competition shall be done immediately after the last match of the group playoff. India play their knockout match on Thursday.
The other teams to have made it to the quarters are China and Japan.
