India Wins Thomas Cup Badminton for Third Consecutive Time

India men badminton team won the Thomas Cup for the third consecutive time in Chengdu, China, defeating South Korea 3-2 in a tense final that stretched to all five matches. H.S. Prannoy delivered the decisive rubber, winning 21-18, 18-21, 21-17 against world number five Jeon Hyeok-jin in a match lasting one hour and forty minutes. Lakshya Sen had given India an early 2-0 lead before South Korea levelled, making Prannoy win essential. Coach Pullela Gopichand praised the team depth, noting India had used nine different players across the tournament without any individual carrying an excessive match load. Prime Minister Modi called the team to offer congratulations and announced the entire squad would receive the Arjuna Award at the next national sports awards ceremony.