Asian Games Badminton: Indian men end up with bronze after semi-final loss to China

The Indian men’s badminton team clinched the bronze medal at the Asian Games after losing 1-3 to China in the semi-finals in Aichi-Nagoya on Wednesday.

Lakshya Sen and Ayush Shetty failed to overcome their higher-ranked opponents, while Satwiksiraj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty were the only Indians to register a victory as China once again ended India’s campaign.

India won silver at the 2023 Asian Games in Hangzhou, where they also lost to China in the final. The latest result means India have secured team medals at the Asian Games for the first time in 40 years after winning bronze in 1982 and 1986.

Asian Games Live: Update 23 September

World No. 14 Lakshya, who produced a strong performance to help India reach the semi-finals, failed to replicate that form against world No. 6 Shi Yu Qi. The Indian lost 16-21, 18-21 in the opening singles to give China a 1-0 lead.

Satwiksiraj and Chirag then brought India back into the competition with an impressive win over Paris Olympic silver medalists and reigning world champions Liang Wei Keng and Wang Chang.

The Indian pair prevailed 21-11, 22-20 to level the score at 1-1 and give India fresh hope of advancing to the finals at the Ichinomiya City Municipal Gymnasium.

The pressure then shifted to 20-year-old Ayush Shetty, but the world number 20 could not keep his composure against world number 12 Li Shi Feng. Ayush lost 19-21, 13-21 as China led 2-1.

India’s hopes then rested on Hariharan Amsakarunan and MR Arjun in the second doubles. The world number 25 pair faced He Ji Ting and Liu Yi, with him drafted into the team at the last minute after Chen Boyang fell ill.

Hariharan and Arjun battled after losing the opening game but could not complete the comeback. They lost 16-21, 21-17, 9-21 as China secured their place in the final and ended India’s hopes of improving on the silver from Hangzhou.

Despite the defeat, India’s bronze is a significant achievement in Asian Games badminton. The men’s team have now won medals in back-to-back editions, ending a 40-year wait for back-to-back team medals following their bronze campaigns in 1982 and 1986.

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Issued by:

Saurabh Kumar

Published on:

23 Sep 2026 16:11 IST