HS Prannoy showed incredible strength to advance to the semifinals, ending a four-decade wait for an Indian men's singles medal at the Asian Games. Unfortunately, PV Sindhu was unable to secure gold this time around, as her run ended on Thursday. In the doubles category, Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty made history by reaching the final four, becoming the first Indian men's doubles team to medal since 1982. These achievements build on the silver medal India earned in the men's team event last Sunday.
Indian shuttler HS Prannoy played strong and battled his way to the semifinals, becoming the first Indian in 41 years to earn a badminton medal in men’s singles at the Asian Games, while two-time Olympic medalist PV Sindhu’s bid for gold in women’s singles was cut short on Thursday. Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty then advanced to the final four, becoming the second Indian men’s doubles combination to win a medal, following Leroy D’sa and Pradeep Gandhe in 1982. India earned a silver medal in the men’s team championships last Sunday.
Fighting through agonizing back spasms, Prannoy used athletic tape and a supportive belt to push through one of the most memorable matches of the tournament. He managed to overcome Malaysia's Lee Zii Jia in a thriller (21-16, 21-23, 22-20), securing India's second medal of the Games. The physical and emotional toll was evident as Prannoy collapsed on the court after the 78-minute battle, eventually celebrating his victory with a passionate embrace of coach Pullela Gopichand.
Prannoy's next challenge is the final, where he will face the home-court favorite, Li Shi Feng from China. With this run, Prannoy has finally closed a gap that opened after Syed Modi won bronze in New Delhi back in 1982. It's a triumphant return for the world championship bronze medalist, who had previously missed the team final due to his back injury, resulting in a silver medal for India after a close 2-3 loss to China.
Conversely, PV Sindhu faced a tough setback, losing 16-21, 12-21 in under an hour to China's He Bingjiao; it is the first time in nine years she has left a major competition without a medal. On a brighter note, Satwik and Chirag dominated their quarterfinal against Singapore's Nge Joo Jie and Johann Prajogo with a convincing 21-7, 21-9 victory, setting up a high-stakes clash against Malaysia's Aaron Chia and Sooh Wooi Yik on Friday.
Reflecting on the victory, Prannoy admitted the match was an immense struggle, noting that Lee is always a formidable opponent and the game was physically draining. He confessed that he isn't even at 80% fitness right now, but credited his own mental toughness and sheer will to fight as the reasons he was able to pull off such a win.