Hong Kong fail to qualify for Thomas Cup after India inflict second straight loss in Asian Team Championships

Hong Kong’s Thomas Cup hopes have ended as they crashed out of the Asia Team Championships after a narrow 3-2 defeat by India on Thursday, the team’s second loss in a row in Group A.

Youngster Jason Gunawan, the youngest-ever Hong Kong champion when he won the title at 16 in 2020, put up a brave fight in the deciding fifth match but still fell short after losing to Indian shuttler Mithun Manjunath in three games, 21-14, 17-21, 21-11, in Shah Alam, Malaysia.

“Jason has showed marked improvement from the opening match against his Indonesian opponent but still he is very young and has not played on the international circuit for two years,” badminton head coach Tim He Yiming said.

“He has given his best but apparently he still needs to improve his quality before he can stand up against the more experienced players and this is also why we sent him to the continental tournament.”

After losing 4-1 to Indonesia on Tuesday, Hong Kong had to beat the Indians to keep their Thomas Cup finals qualifying hopes alive before facing South Korea in the last group match on Friday. Top player Angus Ng Ka-long was absent from the line-up again because he was still feeling less than 100 per cent since arriving in Malaysia, leaving Lee Cheuk-yiu to play the first singles match.

But Lee, the world number 17, could do little to trouble rising Indian star Lakshya Sen, losing in straight games 21-19, 21-10. Reginald Lee Chun-hei and his partner Law Cheuk-him levelled the score after winning the first doubles and then Chan Yin-chak put Hong Kong in front with his victory in the second singles.