India finish second in group to enter knockout round

They finished in second-place in Group B after going down to Thailand in their last group league match in Abu Dhabi. India had earlier got the better of Qatar and Sri Lanka by 3-0 margins but lost 2-3 to Thailand in the four-team group.

Both India and Thailand had booked the two knockout spots from their group after winning their respective first two matches, before their clash decided who topped the group. India started on the wrong foot with Manan Chandra losing to Thailand’s Ratchayothin Yotharuck 30-65. But the recently crowned 6-Red continental champion Pankaj Advani levelled the score by defeating Yuttapop Pakpoj 70-37.

Advani and Aditya Mehta then put India 2-1 in front by drubbing the Thai pair of Yotharuck and Pakpoj 94-13. But 20-year-old Yotharuck overcame Indian ace Advani, who is 10 years elder to him, 85-0 before Pakpoj sealed Thai’s place at the top of the group by vanquishing Chandra 62-54.