India Assures Badminton Medal After 3-0 Win Over Japan
What Happened
India’s men’s badminton team secured a place in the Asian Games semi-finals and guaranteed at least a bronze medal after a 3-0 win over hosts Japan. The tie was sparked by Lakshya Sen, who fought back from 14-19 down in the deciding game to beat world No. 7 Kodai Naraoka. The doubles pair of Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty, followed by Ayush Shetty, completed the sweep. Meanwhile, India’s women’s team exited the competition after a 1-3 defeat to Japan.
Key Takeaways
The victory assures India of a badminton team medal for the second consecutive Asian Games after winning silver in Hangzhou. The men’s team will now face either China or South Korea in the semi-finals, while the women’s campaign has come to an end.