Asian Games: Indian men, women lose in badminton team event

GUANGZHOU - The Indian men and women’s badminton teams bowed out of the first round after losing to Chinese Taipei and Indonesia at the 16th Asian Games here Saturday.

In the men’s competition, India lost 1-4 and their only win came through a gutsy Parupalli Kashyap, who defeated Hsuan Yi Hsueh 18-21, 21-13, 23-21 after saving two match points.

The women’s team lost 2-3 after winning their first two matches courtsey Commonwealth Games gold medallists Saina Nehwal and the doubles pair of Jwala Gutta and Ashiwni Ponnapa.

Saina gave India a rousing start beating Adriyant Firdasari 21-16, 21-17 while Gutta and Ponnapa, ranked 31, pulled off a remarkable victory against world no. 9 Greysia Polii and Meiliana Jauhari 21-17, 17-21, 23-21.

But India lost their next three matches. In the second singles, Aditi Mutatkar went down to M.F Kusumastuti 10-21, 16-21.

In another doubles, Aparna Balan and Prajakta Sawant lost to Liliyana and N.K. Maheswari 11-21, 11-21.

Arundhati Pantawane went down to Linda Wenifanetri 9-21, 10-21 in the decider.

In the men’s round of 16, Arvind Bhat gave a tough fight to Chinese Taipei’s Hsieh Yu Hsing, before going down 26-28, 21-15, 13-21 in a marathon encounter.

In doubles, Akshay Dewalkar and Sanave Thomas lost to Fang Chieh Min and Lee Sheng Mu 19-21, 17-21.

Kashyap then beat Hsuan to pull one back.

The men’s doubles pair of Rupesh Kumar and Sanave went down to Chen Hung Ling and Lin Yu Lang 17-21, 20-22.