Asian Games 2023: India Bags First-Ever Silver In Men's Team Badminton After Losing Marathon Final vs China

The Indian men's badminton team clinched the silver medal at the Asian Games 2023 in Hangzhou, China, after losing a marathon final against China on Sunday.

India went down 2-3 against China despite winning the first two games. Despite having a strong start after clinching the first two points, India somehow couldn't win the last crucial point needed to finish the tie.

After world No. 7 HS Prannoy was ruled out due to a back injury, Lakshya Sen produced a gutsy show in the first singles and doubles pair of Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty then bossed over their opponents to put India 2-0 ahead.

India lose despite taking 2-0 lead

So, it was once again left to Kidambi Srikanth to carry the team on his shoulders.

The former world No. 1, who had produced a gritty show against South Korea in the semifinals, couldn't go the distance this time despite a healthy lead and multiple game points as China fought back to make it 1-2.

The defending champions then won the remaining two matches to maintain their hegemony in the Asian Games.

Nonetheless, this is the first-ever silver medal for the Indian team in Badminton in Asian Games history. It's also the 11th medal overall in badminton at the Asiad.