India staged a remarkable comeback to ensure a first-ever medal in the Asia Mixed Team Badminton Championships on Friday. After sweeping the first two matches, India was put to the test when Hong Kong fought back to take the next two sets. But India’s grit and determination paid off in the fifth set, as they finally managed to down Hong Kong 3-2 and qualify for the semifinals of this prestigious tournament. This major win for India is sure to put them on track to winning their first continental badminton title in history.
Down 0-2 against their opponents, the Indian team showed a tremendous amount of resilience and determination as they came back strong to secure a draw. The doubles pair of Dhruv Kapila and Chirag Shetty and PV Sindhu put in an outstanding performance to level the scores after their earlier setbacks, setting up a thrilling finale. With such remarkable spirit and will to fight hard in dire straits, the Indians made sure that they were not dismissed easily or disposed off impatiently. This spirit has clearly been taking India’s badminton also by storm.
Ishaan Bhatnagar and Tanisha Crasto put in a valiant effort against their opponents from Hong Kong, Lee Chun Hei Reginald and Tsz Yau NG, but ultimately fell short, losing the match 24-26 17-21 and giving Hong Kong a 1-0 lead in the tie. Even though they were defeated, it was still an impressive showing by the Indian pairing, who put up a good fight against two skilled opponents. The stakes in the match were high with both teams eager to start on the right track. After four hard fought games, it was unfortunate that Ishaan and Tanisha could not grab a win, but it is certainly not impossible for them to overturn the result when they face off against each other again in subsequent matches.
World No. 11 and Commonwealth Games champion Lakshya Sen had a disappointing loss to world No. 14 Ka Long Angus Ng in a one hour and 10 minute match. The 21-year-old Indian garnered a brief game lead, but could not hold on as he lost 20-22, 19-21 and 18-21. Lakshya has consistently beaten players of higher ranking throughout his career, including his impressive victory at the 2018 Commonwealth Games, making this loss all the more surprising. His upcoming matches will no doubt be followed more eagerly than ever as fans look to see if he can make an impressive comeback following this major disappointment at the Swiss Open Super 300 Tournament (2019).
Kapila and Shetty gave India something to cheer about with their hard-fought win in the men’s doubles match. The first set was a close battle, with Kapila and Shetty eventually losing 20-22. But that only seemed to rouse them, because they came back roaring in the second and third sets to trounce their opponents 21-16 and 21-11 respectively. Both players are experienced athletes so it made sense that they were able to pull the victory out of what initially seems like a losing situation. India can be sure that this pair will feature in many more epic matches in the future.
P.V. Sindhu once again stepped up to the plate for her country and fought off a strong challenge from Saloni Samirbhai Mehta in the women’s singles match. Sindhu had to draw on all her experience as an Olympic medallist to battle from behind, eventually coming back from 0-16 down in the first set to win 16-21 21-7 21-9 and level the scores at an important 2-2. Her victory was met with thunderous applause from a delighted crowd, who were thrilled to watch such an intensely competitive match between two incredible athletes. It was truly a great moment of sportsmanship and you can be sure that this will not be P.V. Sindhu’s last fantastic achievement on the court!
Treesa Jolly and Gayatri Gopichand made history today when they earned the decisive point for their team in the Women’s Doubles match. The match, against Tsz Yau NG and Wing Yung NG, had been incredibly close but Treesa and Gayatri held their nerve in the end, securing the win with a score of 21-13 and 21-12. This thrilling finish marks a fantastic conclusion to an enthralling tournament, as Treesa and Gayatri prove that perseverance pays off!
