Asian Games: Treesa-Gayatri, Dhruv-Tanisha bow out in badminton quarterfinals
Treesa-Gayatri and Dhruv-Tanisha suffer heartbreaking exits in the Asian Games badminton quarterfinals. Read the full match details here.
India's badminton campaign faced a significant blow on Day 8 of the Asian Games as two highly promising pairs were eliminated during the quarterfinal stage. Both the women's doubles duo of Treesa Jolly and Gayatri Gopichand, along with the mixed doubles pair of Dhruv Kapila and Tanisha Crasto, failed to secure a spot in the medal rounds.
Heartbreak for Treesa and Gayatri
Coming off a massive upset where they defeated world No. 3 and local favorites Mayu Matsumoto and Yuki Fukushima, Treesa and Gayatri were unable to replicate that magic. Facing Malaysia's Pearly Koong Le Tan and Thinaah Muralitharan, the Indian pair struggled to handle the intense pace set by their opponents.
The match unfolded as follows:
- First Game: The Indians fought hard but lost 18-21.
- Second Game: The Malaysian duo dominated, leading 16-8 and eventually 18-8.
- The Finish: Despite saving a match point, the Indian pair could not bridge the gap, losing the second game 9-21.
Dhruv and Tanisha push world No. 1 to the limit
In the mixed doubles category, Dhruv Kapila and Tanisha Crasto delivered a valiant performance against the world No. 1 pair from China, Huang Dongping and Feng Yan Zhe. The Indians showed incredible resilience, refusing to go down easily after a tough opening set.
The intense three-game battle saw the following scores:
- Game 1: 14-21 in favor of China.
- Game 2: 21-18 in favor of India, forcing a decider.
- Game 3: 18-21, where the Chinese pair narrowly held their nerve as the Indians stayed neck-and-neck until the very end.
Other Highlights from Day 8
While badminton saw exits, other disciplines provided moments of triumph and progress for the Indian contingent:
Archery and Athletics Success
India's archery team showed great form, with both the men's and women's compound team events progressing to the semifinals. In athletics, Tejaswin Shankar delivered a strong performance in the men's decathlon, finishing third in the 110m hurdles with 932 points. This keeps him at the top of the overall decathlon standings with a total of 5,270 points.
Surfing Progress
The Indian surfers are making waves in the competition. Sivaraj Babu has advanced to Round 3 of the men's shortboard after defeating Iran's Davoud Khadir. In the women's category, Kamali Prakash and Sugar Shanti Gayen have also successfully moved into Round 3 of the shortboard events.
Challenges in Combat Sports
It was a difficult day for India in Sepaktakraw and Kurash. The women's doubles team in Sepaktakraw suffered a 0-2 loss to South Korea. In Kurash, Bharti lost 0-3 to Iran's Tahereh Azarpeivand, while Sangita was defeated 0-10 by Charmea Quelino.
As it stands, India holds the 10th position in the overall medal standings with a total of 30 medals, consisting of 4 gold, 12 silver, and 14 bronze.