Asian Games 2023 Badminton Results Day 12: HS Prannoy, and Chirag-Satwik duo assured of medals, Sindhu crashes out
H.S. Prannoy and the men's doubles pair of Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty entered the semifinals and scripted history by assuring India of medals at the Asian Games 2023 in Hangzhou.
Prannoy made an incredible comeback to save two match points while Rankireddy and Shetty showcased their sheer dominance in the quarterfinal. Meanwhile, India’s two-time Olympic medalist, PV Sindhu, crashed out in the women’s singles quarterfinals.
A closer look at the results
P.V. Sindhu entered the quarterfinals of the Asian Games 2023 with high hopes. However, her disappointing form this year persisted as she succumbed to China's He Bingjiao in straight sets.
Right from the start, Sindhu's body language showed her lack of confidence, and despite her best efforts, the seasoned shuttler could not do much to secure a win. She lost the match with scores of 16-21 and 12-21.
Despite her poor performance in the quarterfinals, Sindhu showed some signs of returning to winning ways with an exceptional performance in the earlier rounds. She displayed her prowess on the court with a commanding victory over Indonesia's Putri Kusuma Wardani and a convincing win against Chinese Taipei's Wen-Chi Hsu.
India assured medals in the men's singles and doubles categories
In the men’s singles category, H.S. Prannoy, who has been in remarkable form over the last couple of years, continued this exceptional form at the Asian Games. Despite battling a back injury sustained in the semifinal of the men's team event, Prannoy participated in the individual championships.
In a gripping quarterfinal encounter against Malaysia's Lee Zii Jia, Prannoy showcased his mettle. He won the first game but couldn't convert two match points in the second, taking the match to a decisive third set. In a thrilling final, Prannoy clawed back from three match points down to secure a stunning victory. He ultimately won the match, which lasted an hour and 18 minutes with a score of 21-16, 21-23, 22-20. This quarterfinal encounter was a showcase of the highest quality of badminton in recent times.
Prannoy's remarkable triumph in the quarterfinal has guaranteed India a medal in the sport at the Asian Games.
While the singles events captured much of the spotlight, India celebrated a historic win in the men's doubles category. Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty confirmed another medal for India by breezing past Singapore's Nge Joo Jie-Johann Prajogo in the quarterfinals with an emphatic score of 21-7, 21-9.
This achievement marks India's second-ever medal in men's doubles at the Asian Games, with the last medal coming way back in 1982. The duo is now set to face Malaysia's Aaron Chia and Soh Wooi Yik, the bronze medalists from the Tokyo 2020 Olympics, in the semifinals.
Indian badminton fans are looking forward to Prannoy, Rankireddy, and Shetty taking the court on October 6 at the Asian Games 2023 to fight for a place in the final. The country has a lot of hopes and expectations for these shuttlers to bring back the coveted gold medal.