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Indian men and women teams have been handed a decent draw in the group stages of the 2026 Thomas and Uber Cup championships to be held in Horsens, Denmark, from April 24 to May 3.
Both the Indian teams, seeded eighth in the tournament based on their individual players' world rankings, have been clubbed in Group A alongside defending champions and top seeds China. The 2022 Thomas Cup champions, India, will be favourites to claim one of the two quarterfinal spots from Group A, which also comprises Pan Am champions Canada and Oceania champions Australia. The women's team, however, has a slightly tricky road to the knockout stages as they are clubbed with European team championships runners-up Denmark and bronze medallists Ukraine. Badminton Association of India (BAI) secretary general Sanjay Mishra said India has a favourable draw in both the Thomas Cup and Uber Cup, giving the team a good chance to reach the quarterfinals. He added that the squad is strong and capable of beating top teams, and once in the quarterfinals, anything can happen. "We have got a decent draw and a chance to reach the quarterfinals in both the Thomas Cup and Uber Cup competition. We have a strong team that has proved that they can beat any top team on their day and after reaching the quarterfinals anything is possible," said BAI secretary general Sanjay Mishra. While the Indian men created history by winning the 2022 edition of the Thomas Cup, the women's team has won the bronze medal in the 2014 and 2016 editions. (ANI)
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