Indian player Lakshya Sen lost the opening match to Shi Yuqi, but Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty levelled the tie. Ayush Shetty and Hariharan Amsakarunan also faced defeats, resulting in a 3-1 loss to China, earning India the bronze medal at Asian Games 2026.
The Indian men's badminton team faced China in the semi-final of the Asian Games 2026 held in Aichi, Japan. The opening match saw Lakshya Sen suffer a setback as he lost to Shi Yuqi with scores of 21-16, 21-18. However, Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty managed to level the tie by defeating reigning world champions Liang Wei Keng and Wang Chang 21-11, 22-20. The momentum shifted back to China as Ayush Shetty lost his match against defending Asian Games champion Li Shifeng with scores of 21-19, 21-13. In the fourth match, Hariharan Amsakarunan and MR Arjun fought valiantly but ultimately lost to He Ji Ting and Liu Yi from China with a scoreline of 21-16, 17-21, 21-9. This bronze medal brings India's overall tally at the Asian Games 2026 to 12 medals – 1 gold, 5 silver, and 6 bronze.
Source:
Akashvani News
