Sports in News — Badminton
1. Paris Olympics 2024
CONTEXT
- India failed to win a badminton medal for the first time since 2008.
- Saina Nehwal (Bronze in 2012), P.V. Sindhu (Silver in 2016, Bronze in 2020) had kept India's medal streak alive before this.
LAKSHYA SEN — FOURTH-PLACE FINISH
- Reached the semifinals, losing to Viktor Axelsen (Denmark).
- Lost the bronze medal match to Lee Zii Jia (Malaysia).
SATWIK-CHIRAG — EARLY EXIT
- Lost in the quarterfinals to Malaysia's Aaron Chia-Soh Wooi Yik.
P.V. SINDHU — POOR FORM CONTINUES
- Lost in the pre-quarterfinals to He Bing Jiao (China) in straight games.
2. Thomas Cup 2024
CONTEXT
- The tournaments were held at Chengdu, China.
- India had a disappointing campaign at the Thomas Cup 2024, exiting in the quarterfinals after losing 2-3 to China.
- China is the current holder of the Thomas Cup, 2024.
- India, the defending men's champions, lost to China in the Thomas Cup, 2024 quarterfinals.
- While defending women's champions South Korea fell to Indonesia in the semifinals. China clinched both titles, defeating Indonesia in the finals.
THOMAS CUP — KEY FACTS
- The Thomas Cup is a prestigious international team badminton competition for men, donated by Sir George Thomas in 1939.
- Its female counterpart is the Uber Cup.
- India is the sixth nation overall to win the Thomas Cup, after beating title holders Indonesia 3–0 in the 2022 edition.
3. All England Championships 2025
HISTORY
- The world's first open tournament was held in the English town of Guildford in 1898.
- The success of this paved the way for the All England's inaugural edition, which was held at London's Horticultural Halls in 1899.
ALL ENGLAND OPEN BADMINTON CHAMPIONSHIPS 2025 — WINNERS
- Men's Singles: Shi Yu Qi (China)
- Women's Singles: An Se-young (South Korea)
- Men's Doubles: Kim Won-ho & Seo Seung-jae (South Korea)
- Women's Doubles: Nami Matsuyama & Chiharu Shida (Japan)
- Mixed Doubles: Guo Xinwa & Chen Fanghui (China)
INDIA'S CAMPAIGN
- India's campaign ended after Lakshya Sen and Treesa-Gayatri suffered defeats.
- Lakshya Sen lost to Asian Games champ Shi Feng Li.
- Treesa Jolly-Gayatri Gopichand went down to Liu Sheng Shu-Tan Ning.
ALL ENGLAND — KEY FACTS
- India's Prakash Padukone, in 1980, became India's first All England champion.
- The win also made him the first men's singles All England title winner in badminton's Open era, which started in late 1979.
- Pullela Gopichand (2001) is the only other Indian to win the prestigious title.
4. India at Badminton Asia Team Championships 2024
CONTEXT
- The Indian women's badminton team clinched a historic gold at the 2024 Badminton Asia Team Championships held in Shah Alam, Malaysia.
WOMEN'S TEAM — HISTORIC GOLD
- First-ever continental title for India (women or men).
- Final: India 3-2 Thailand
- PV Sindhu: Defeated Supanida Katethong
- Treesa-Gayatri: Defeated Kititharakul-Prajongjai
- Anmol Kharb: Defeated Pornpicha Choeikeewong
- Star Performer: Anmol Kharb (17 years)
MEN'S TEAM — QUARTERFINAL EXIT
- Quarterfinal: Lost to Japan 2-3
- Wins by: Lakshya Sen & Satwik-Chirag
TOURNAMENT SIGNIFICANCE
- Offers Olympic qualification points (Race to Paris 2024)
- Acts as qualifier for 2024 Thomas & Uber Cup
- India (Men & Women) qualified as semifinalists
5. Kho Kho World Cup 2025
CONTEXT
- The inaugural session of Kho Kho World Cup 2025 was held in India.
ABOUT KHO KHO WORLD CUP 2025
- Witnessed the participation of 23 countries from six continents, featuring 20 men's and 19 women's teams.
- Played under the seven-a-side fast format, which is used for international competitions.
6. Summary: Badminton at a Glance
| Event | Year | Host/Venue | Winner | Key Details |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Paris Olympics (Badminton) | 2024 | Paris | Various | India no medal; Lakshya Sen 4th place |
| Thomas Cup | 2024 | Chengdu, China | China | India (defending champions) lost in QF |
| All England Championships | 2025 | England | Various | Men's: Shi Yu Qi (CHN); Women's: An Se-young (KOR) |
| Badminton Asia Team Championships | 2024 | Shah Alam, Malaysia | India (Women) | India's first continental title |
| Kho Kho World Cup | 2025 | India | TBD | Inaugural edition; 23 countries; 7-a-side format |
Key Takeaways for UPSC
- Thomas Cup: Men's team championship; donated by Sir George Thomas (1939); Uber Cup is women's counterpart
- India's Thomas Cup 2022: India's first title; 6th nation overall
- All England 2025 Winners: Men's: Shi Yu Qi (CHN); Women's: An Se-young (KOR)
- Indian All England Champions: Prakash Padukone (1980); Pullela Gopichand (2001)
- Paris 2024: India's first badminton medal-less Olympics since 2008
- Asia Team Championships 2024: India's women won historic gold; Anmol Kharb (17) star performer
- Kho Kho World Cup 2025: Inaugural edition held in India; 7-a-side fast format
High-Yield Interactive UPSC Quiz (Sports — Badminton)
Q1. India failed to win a badminton medal at the Paris 2024 Olympics for the first time since which year?
Correct Answer: B. India failed to win a badminton medal at the Paris 2024 Olympics for the first time since 2008.
Q2. The Thomas Cup is the men's team championship in badminton. Who donated the trophy?
Correct Answer: B. The Thomas Cup was donated by Sir George Thomas in 1939 for the men's international team badminton competition.
Q3. Who won the men's singles title at the All England Championships 2025?
Correct Answer: C. Shi Yu Qi of China won the men's singles title at the All England Championships 2025.
Q4. Who is the only other Indian besides Prakash Padukone to win the All England badminton title?
Correct Answer: C. Pullela Gopichand (2001) is the only other Indian besides Prakash Padukone (1980) to win the All England title.
Q5. India won its first-ever continental title at the Badminton Asia Team Championships 2024 in which category?
Correct Answer: B. The Indian women's badminton team won its first-ever continental title at the Badminton Asia Team Championships 2024, defeating Thailand 3-2 in the final.
Q6. Who was the star performer for India in the Badminton Asia Team Championships 2024 final at just 17 years of age?
Correct Answer: C. Anmol Kharb, at just 17 years of age, was the star performer for India in the Badminton Asia Team Championships 2024 final.
Q7. The Kho Kho World Cup 2025 was played under which format?
Correct Answer: C. The Kho Kho World Cup 2025 was played under the seven-a-side fast format, which is used for international competitions.
Q8. The women's singles winner at the All England Championships 2025 was:
Correct Answer: C. An Se-young of South Korea won the women's singles title at the All England Championships 2025.
Q9. The Badminton Asia Team Championships 2024 was held in which city?
Correct Answer: D. The Badminton Asia Team Championships 2024 was held in Shah Alam, Malaysia.
Q10. India won the Thomas Cup for the first time in which year?
Correct Answer: C. India won the Thomas Cup for the first time in 2022, beating title holders Indonesia 3–0.