For the first time in 40 years, India did not win a tennis medal at the Asian Games

Sumit Nagal (Image credit: X) India’s tennis campaign at the Asian Games ended without a medal on Thursday, with Sumit Nagal’s quarter-final defeat bringing the curtains down on a disappointing outing for the country.Nagal, India’s top-ranked singles player, was the last Indian left in medal contention after the doubles pair crashed out on Wednesday. But the 29-year-old lost 4-6, 4-6 to China’s Yibing Wu in one hour and 38 minutes.It means India will return from the Asian Games without a tennis medal for the first time since 1986.Since 1990, India has won at least one tennis medal at every edition of the continental event. This time, however, the country could not continue despite entering the competition hoping to win at least three medals.

Nagala’s departure ends India’s hopes

Nagal carried India’s hopes into the quarter-finals after defeating Hong in the previous round and then overcoming Fomin. But Wu proved too strong for the Indian, who fought hard but failed to convert his chances.India coach Ashutosh Singh said the team wanted better results, especially considering the experience in the team.“Obviously we would like better results, especially given the quality and experience in the team.”Singh admitted that the competition was “extremely high”, but felt that Indian singles players needed to make the most of their opportunities.“Sumit Nagal competed hard in his matches. First he beat Hong, for the first time in his career, then he beat Fomin, he did what was needed. Even today, Sumit was able to create a few chances but somehow he couldn’t convert them.”“DK (Dhakshineswar) has shown his level of play on the Tour but needs more work to sustain his short bursts of good performance in a physically demanding multi-week national campaign if he is to be seen as the team’s torchbearer,” Singh said.

The doubles pairs also fall short

India had hoped that its doubles players would keep the country’s medal tradition alive after Nagal’s departure.However, even Yuki Bhambri and N Sriram Balaji did not make it to the podium.Balaji and Anirudh Chandrasekar, as well as Bhambri and Dhakshineswar Suresh, lost in the quarterfinals. Dhakshineswar also made an appearance in the third round of the men’s singles. The women’s doubles and mixed doubles combinations also failed to convert their medal opportunities.Talking about the doubles, Singh said Bhambri and Bhosale have a tough Taipei team.“The doubles combinations were finalized based on the overall team requirements and performances and circumstances leading up to the event. Unfortunately, we were unable to convert this opportunity into medals.”“Yuki and Rutuja were beaten by Grand Slam champion Hseih, who brought all her high-level experience and her partner also played very attacking tennis.”Singh added: “As a team, we take responsibility for the results. There is no point in looking for excuses. A proper assessment must also take into account the conditions, the schedule, the preparation and the quality of the opponent, rather than just looking at the final score.”

India had a strong medal tradition

India’s last Asian Games singles medal came in 2018 when Prajnesh Gunneswaran and Ankita Raina won bronze medals in Jakarta. The country also had a significant presence in the doubles through Rohan Bopanna, who rose to world number one and helped India win gold medals at the Asian Games.After Bopanna’s exit, players like Bhambri and Balaji were expected to shoulder the responsibility. But neither could make it to the podium in Japan.India also missed out on a singles medal at the Hangzhou 2023 Asian Games where Nagal lost in the quarter-finals and Ramkumar Ramanathan was eliminated in the third round.

The focus turns to the next generation

Nagal is already 29 years old, which means he will be 33 when the next Asian Games are held in Doha in 2030. The result has once again brought focus on the next generation of Indian tennis players and the need to prepare them for the international stage.AITA interim general secretary Sunder Iyer said the players had given their best but acknowledged that the federation needed to do more.“The players tried their best. We made it to three quarter-finals and were close to medals. As an association, we need to figure out how to support our players, juniors and professionals more to enable them to achieve better results,” Iyer told PTI.

The coach praises the team spirit

Despite the disappointing results, Singh said the players stuck together throughout the campaign. The coach signed off by acknowledging “the way the players stayed together as a group”.“There were tough moments, selections and combinations that naturally bring pressure, but the team maintained professionalism and supported each other throughout the campaign,” he said.