The Indian men’s badminton team accomplished a historic feat at the Asian Games, clinching a medal for the first time in 37 years. Their remarkable journey continued as they sailed into the semifinals with a resounding 3-0 victory over Nepal in Hangzhou on Friday.
The Indian team delivered a flawless performance, notching up three consecutive wins without encountering any significant challenges. Lakshya Sen initiated the victory, followed by Kidambi Srikanth, and Mithun Manjunath sealed the deal, all securing their victories in straight games.
In the first match of the encounter, Lakshya Sen dominated Prince Dahal with a scoreline of 21-5, 21-8, propelling India to a 1-0 lead. Kidambi Srikanth carried the momentum forward in the second match, securing a straight-set victory over Sunil Joshi with a convincing score of 21-4, 21-13. Joshi struggled to match Kidambi’s skill set, managing to score only four points in the first game, ultimately conceding an easy win to the Indian.
Although the second game witnessed a modest fightback from Joshi, it proved insufficient to thwart Kidambi’s charge to a comfortable victory.
In the third match of the tie, Mithun Manjunath overpowered Bishnu Katuwal with an emphatic score of 21-2, 21-7, securing a place in the semifinals for the Indian team. Manjunath’s dominant performance left no room for doubt about India’s advancement.
The Indian men’s badminton team will now face the winner between Indonesia and Korea in the semifinals, vying for a coveted spot in the final.
Meanwhile, the Indian women’s badminton team faced a setback in the quarterfinals of the team competition in Hangzhou. They suffered a disappointing 3-0 defeat to Thailand in their quarterfinal match, bringing an end to their campaign in the team competition.
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