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.
