NEW DELHI: The tension inside the Ichinomiya City Municipal Gymnasium was palpable as two badminton powerhouses collided for a spot in the men’s team final at the 20th Asian Games.
However, that energy did not materialise on court as second seeds China ultimately claimed a 3–1 victory to advance to the final, where they will face top seeds Indonesia, who defeated Thailand with the exact scoreline in the other last four clash in Ichinomiya.
This is the Indian men’s team’s fifth medal in the discipline after winning a silver in 2023 and bronze in 1974, 1982 and 1986. Li edged the tight opener before taking control in the second game, completing a 21-19, 21-13 victory to push China ahead 2–1. Playing with heart and courage under heavy pressure, the Indian pair rebounded after losing the first game 16-21. Arjun and Hariharan dictated the mid-court exchanges in the second game, seizing the initiative to win 21-17 and force a decider. However, the Chinese pair elevated their pace, taking control of the critical net exchanges to run away with a 21-9 win, closing out the match and sealing a 3-1 overall victory for China.
However, India concluded an important campaign with a hard-fought bronze. The podium finish reinforces India’s standing at the summit of Asian badminton, marking the nation’s fourth successive edition with a badminton medal. Refusing to let the momentum slip away, India roared back in the second match behind a doubles masterclass from Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty. Facing China’s star pairing and reigning world champions Liang Wei Keng and Wang Chang, the Indian duo put on an absolute clinical display in flat and aggressive doubles play. China restored its lead in the third match through a hard-fought second singles fixture featuring Indian prodigy Ayush Shetty against Li Shi Feng, who will be defending the men’s singles crown at the Asiad later when individual competitions begin. Despite Ayush’s fearless display, Li’s clinical consistency and steady court coverage held firm when the game hung in the balance.
