Asian Games 2023: Indian Men's Badminton team secures medal after 37 years with 3-0 win over Nepal
Hangzhou, September 29: The Indian men's badminton team achieved a historic feat at the Asian Games 2023 by clinching a medal after 37 years. They dominated Nepal 3-0 in the quarterfinals in Hangzhou on Friday.
The Indian squad breezed into the semifinals of the 19th Asian Games 2023, thanks to stellar performances from their shuttlers. Lakshya Sen set the tone with a commanding victory, followed by Kidambi Shrikanth, and Mithun Manjunath sealed the deal, all winning in straight games without much resistance.
In the first match, Lakshya Sen defeated Prince Dahal 21-5, 21-8, providing India with a 1-0 lead. In the subsequent match, former World No. 1 Kidambi Srikanth secured a straight-set victory against Sunil Joshi, winning 21-4, 21-13.
Update: #Badminton????
The Men's Team @lakshya_sen, @srikidambi & @ManjunathMithun advance to Semi-Finals, confirming a????️for ????????
All three shuttlers won the respective matches against ????????
Well done team ????????! See you at the Semis????????#AsianGames2022#Cheer4India#HallaBol… pic.twitter.com/PVDAU1GwNS — SAI Media (@Media_SAI) September 29, 2023
Nepal's Sunil Joshi couldn't match Kidambi's skill and could only score four points in the first game, resulting in an easy win for the Indian shuttler. Although Joshi showed some fight in the second set, it wasn't enough to prevent Kidambi from securing a comfortable victory.
In the final match of the tie, Mithun Manjunath overcame Bishnu Katuwal with a score of 21-2, 21-7, sealing a spot in the semifinals for the Indian team.
Manjunath's dominant performance ensured India's place in the semis without leaving any room for doubt.
In the semifinals, they will face the winner of the match between Indonesia and Korea, vying for a spot in the final.
On the other hand, the Indian women's badminton team faced disappointment in the quarterfinals of the team competition in Hangzhou. They suffered a disappointing 3-0 loss to Thailand in their quarterfinal match.
- ANI
