Hangzhou: The Indian men’s badminton team made history by securing a medal at the Asian Games after 37 years, defeating Nepal 3-0 in the quarterfinals in Hangzhou on Friday.
The Indian team delivered an impressive performance, effortlessly advancing to the semifinals of the 19th Asian Games. Lakshya Sen, Kidambi Shrikanth, and Mithun Manjunath secured victories in straight games without facing any significant challenges.
In the first match of the tie, Lakshya Sen defeated Prince Dahal with a score of 21-5, 21-8, giving India a 1-0 lead. In the second match, former World No. 1 Kidambi Srikanth defeated Sunil Joshi in straight sets with scores of 21-4, 21-13. Joshi struggled to match Kidambi’s skills, managing to score only four points in the first game.
Mithun Manjunath sealed India’s place in the semifinals by overpowering Bishnu Katuwal in the third match with scores of 21-2, 21-7. Manjunath’s dominant performance left no doubt about India’s spot in the semis.
The Indian team will face the winner between Indonesia and Korea in the semifinals for a chance to compete in the final.
In contrast, the Indian women’s badminton team was eliminated in the quarterfinals of the team competition in Hangzhou, suffering a disappointing 3-0 loss to Thailand in their quarterfinal match.
