The Badminton Asia Mixed Team Championships (BAMTC) starts on Tuesday with the best teams on the continent battling out to be named champion. India kick off their campaign on February 12, with their group stage fixture against Macau. They will then play South Korea in their other group stage fixture on February 13.
What is the BAMTC?
A biennial competition started in 2017; the team championship aims to crown the best nation on the continent across all aspects of badminton. Hence each tie consists of five matches: mixed doubles (XD), women's singles (WS), men's singles (MS), women's doubles (WD) and men's doubles (MD). The result of the tie is based on who wins more in this best-of-five format.
Who's in BAMTC 2025?
Initially, there had been 13 teams slated to participate, but with Philippines withdrawing, that's been reduced to a very equi-groupable 12:
Group A: China, Chinese Taipei, Singapore.
Group B: Indonesia, Malaysia, Hong Kong.
Group C: Japan, Thailand, Kazhakstan.
Group D: South Korea, India, Macau.
What's the format? And what's India's schedule?
Every team in a group will play against each other in round-robin format. The top two teams from each group then advance to the quarterfinals. In the group stage, all five matches of the tie will be played out, but from the knockouts onwards it will be first to three.
Feb. 12: India vs Macau at 7 am.
Feb. 13: India vs South Korea at 7 am.
Feb. 14: Quarterfinals (two at 7 AM, two at 2.30 PM.)
Feb. 15: Semifinals (7 AM, 2.30 PM.)
Feb. 16: Final (11:30 AM.)
What do you get for winning the BAMTC?
The BAMTC are a qualifier for the Sudirman Cup. Finish in the top four, and you are guaranteed a place at the Sudirman Cup. If China make it to the semis, and there's no reason they shouldn't, then the next best ranked Asian team apart from the semifinal four will go to the Sudirman. That's because China have auto qualified as hosts (and defending champions).
Who's in the India squad?
India's is one of the strongest squads in the tournament, even accounting for PV Sindhu's last-minute withdrawal due to a niggly hamstring.
The men's singles charge will be led by Lakshya Sen, with HS Prannoy on call.
Women's singles will have Malvika Bansod now that Sindhu is out.
Men's doubles will have India's best (ever) doubles badminton pair -- Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty with MR Arjun and Dhruv Kapila as backup.
Women's doubles has two equally strong teams with Treesa Jolly-Gayatri Gopichand slated to be #1 and Tanisha Crasto-Ashwini Ponnappa ready to chip in.
Mixed doubles will be marshalled by Satish Karunakaran and Aadya Variyath.
Who will India have to watch out for?
In their group, South Korea, since Macau ought to be a formality. Even though South Korea haven't sent their big guns -- the dominant An Se Young, for instance, has been given a rest -- they still have the talent to trouble India. Watch out, though, for word no. 19 Sim Yu Jin (WS).
Once outside the group, though, India can expect much tougher competition.
China are led by two veterans -- Chen Yu Fei (WS) and Chen Qing Chen (WD) and are always big favourites in any team badminton event. Chinese Taipei have some doubles strength with the likes of Wang Chi-Lin, Yang Po-Hsuan, Lee Jhe-Huei and Lin Chun-Yi.
Japan have a strong squad and will be led by 18-year-old sensation (and world no.8) Tomoka Miyazaki (WS) and world no. 16 Kenta Nishimoto. They also have great depth in doubles too with world no. 6 Rin Iwanaga-Kie Nakanishi (WD), Arisa Igarashi-Ayako Sakuramoto (WD, they won the India Open in Jan) and world no. 12 Hiroki Midorikawa-Natsu Saito (XD).
The other big threat will come from Thailand, who will be led by world no. 6 Pornapawee Chuchuwong (WS) and world no. 18 Aimsaard sisters Benyapa and Nuntakarn (WD).
Who are the previous winners of the BAMTC?
2017: Japan.
2019: China.
2021: Not held due to the COVID-19 pandemic
2023: China.
Have India medaled before?
Yes, India won bronze in 2023. They topped a group that contained Malaysia, Kazhakstan and the United Arab Emirates, beat Hong Kong 3-2 in the quarterfinals, and lost 2-3 to China in the semifinals.
What are India's chances this year?
India will be driven forward by their two men's singles stars and their men's doubles superstar pair and if they play to their full potential, it will take some stopping. It will be intriguing to see how Malvika Bansod rises to the challenge in the women's singles while the two women's doubles pairs will make for a tough fight for any pair on their day. The mixed doubles is a weak point, but that will give Satish/Aadya the chance to surprise a few.
What works against the Indians is that since the Olympics, none of them have been in any kind of decent form. Sat-Chi have made two semis since but have been beaten in a very similar fashion: low, fast, hard games at the net throw them off their game.
This edition of the BAMTC, though, gives them a great chance to regain form and create a bit of history along the way.