World and Olympic Champions Competing at the BAMTC 2023
The Badminton Asia Mixed Team Championship is back this year. Previously, the Asian Mixed Team Championship event was held in 2019 in Hong Kong. In 2017, the biennial event was held in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam.
In the last edition, in 2019, the title champion was China. In the final, China defeated Japan with a tight score of 3-2. The women's doubles pair Du Yue/Li Yinhui concluded their country’s victory after winning 21-16, 21-19 over the Japanese pair Ayako Sakuramoto/Yukiko Takahata.
Japan itself, in the 2019 Mixed Team Championship, came with the status of the defending champion. In the 2017 edition, Akane Yamaguchi and the Japan team defeated Korea with a score of 3-0. At that time, before advancing to the final round, Japan was able to beat two tough countries, Indonesia in the quarter-finals and China in the semifinals. Indonesia was defeated 3-2 and China with a score of 3-1.
In 2021, the Badminton Asia Mixed Team Championship was canceled due to the pandemic. This event was supposed to be held in Wuhan, China.
However, after the pandemic subsided, the Asian Mixed Team Championship will be held again. This year, the event will be held in Dubai Exhibition Center, United Arab Emirates, on February 14-19 2023. There are 17 countries that are participating. These countries are India, Malaysia, China, Korea, Bahrain, Chinese Taipei, Hong Kong China, Kazakhstan, Lebanon, Japan, Pakistan, Indonesia, Singapore, Syria, Thailand, Uzbekistan, and the host United Arab Emirates.
Powerful teams in badminton such as China, Indonesia, Malaysia, Japan, and India send their best players. They use this event as a means to the maturation of their team composition in anticipation of the upcoming team events such as the Thomas and Uber Cup and of course the 2023 Sudirman Cup which is the culmination of the Asian Mixed Team Championships.
Indonesia, who has never won the Badminton Asia Mixed Team Championship title, relies on the men's doubles currently ranked 1st in the world, Fajar Alfian/Muhammad Rian Ardianto. They will be supported by two men's singles who are also the finalists at the 2023 Indonesia Masters, the champion Jonatan Christie and the runner-up Chico Aura Wardoyo. In the women's doubles, the newly paired pair who was ranked fifth in the world, Apriyani Rahayu/Siti Fadia, will also strengthen Indonesia. However, Indonesia's strength will immediately face a challenge in the preliminary group, Thailand, who is also in Group C. The battle between these two South East Asian teams deserves to get a spotlight.
Meanwhile, the other South East Asian Teams, Singapore and Malaysia are also putting their best squads. Singapore will be strengthened by the 2021 men's singles World Champion Loh Kean Yew. However, it seems like it’s going to be tough for Singapore since to get past the group stage, they will have to face China and Korea who both are also part of Group A.
For China, there is a mixed doubles who is the Tokyo 2020 Olympic gold medalist Huang Dong Ping who is an undeniable force. Although in the list of Chinese badminton players there is no Wang Yilyu's name, she will compete along with his new partner, Feng Yan Zhe, who just won the 2023 Indonesia Masters. Meanwhile, Korea relies more on the women's singles and women's doubles sectors.
On the other hand, Malaysia is counting on the 2022 men's doubles world champion Aaron Chia/Soh Wooi Yik and 2021 All England men's singles champion and 2022 Asian Champion Lee Zii Jia. To be able to win Group B, Malaysia must be able to beat India first.
India is another solid team. This country fielded almost all of its core squad that won the 2022 Thomas Cup. There are the names Lakshya Sen and Prannoy HS in the men's singles. As well as the men's doubles pair Satwiksairaj Rankireddy/Chirag Shetty. This composition will be strengthened by Rio 2016 Olympics silver medalist, the Tokyo 2020 Olympics bronze medalists as well as the 2019 women's singles World Champion Pusarla V. Sindhu. India seems to be looking forward to juxtaposing their Thomas Cup title with the Sudirman Cup.
Moreover, Japan is also predicted to go far. They are expected to at least reach the final, as in the previous Badminton Asia Mixed Team Championship. This year, Japan relies on its new star, who is now ranked seventh in the world, Kodai Naraoka. In mixed doubles, Japan also includes the All England champion in the last two years in mixed doubles Yuta Watanabe/Arisa Higashino.
With strong Asian teams ready to compete, the Badminton Asia Mixed Team Championship 2023 will be decorated with fierce competitions since the beginning until the final round.
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