Hangzhou: In a thrilling comeback, China defeated India 3-2 in the Asian Games badminton men’s team final on Sunday to defend their gold medal.
After falling behind 2-0, China won the last three games in a row to clinch the victory. Li Shifeng, Ou Xuanyi/Liu Yuchen, and Weng Hongyang were the heroes for China, winning their respective matches in straight sets.
India had taken the lead in the first game when Lakshya Sen defeated Shi Yuqi 22-20, 21-18. The Indian team then extended their lead in the second game when Satwiksairaj Rankireddy/Chirag Shetty beat Liang Wei Keng/Wang Chang 21-14, 21-18.
Highlights of Lakshya Sen vs. Shi Yuqi in the 2022 Asian Games final:
However, China refused to give up. Li Shifeng got the comeback started with a 24-22, 21-9 victory over Kidambi Srikanth in the second men’s singles match. Ou Xuanyi/Liu Yuchen then leveled the score at 2-2 with a 21-6, 21-15 win over Dhruv Kapila/Sai Pratheek.K in the second men’s doubles match.
Highlights of Li Shifeng vs. Kidambi Srikanth in the 2022 Asian Games final:
The fate of the match then came down to the final game, where Weng Hongyang faced off against Mithun Manjunath. Weng Hongyang was simply too good for his opponent, winning 21-12, 21-4 to seal the gold medal for China.
Highlights of Weng Hongyang vs. Mithun Manjunath in the 2022 Asian Games final:
China’s victory was a testament to their resilience and determination. They never gave up, even when they were facing a 0-2 deficit. Their comeback was a thrilling sight to behold, and it is sure to be remembered as one of the greatest matches in the Asian Games men’s team final.
