Asian Games: Treesa-Gayatri stun world No. 3 as Unnati Hooda enters QFs
Treesa Jolly and Gayatri Gopichand defeat Japan's top pair to reach badminton quarterfinals, while Abhay and Anahat Singh storm into squash finals.
India witnessed a spectacular day of sporting triumphs at the Asian Games on Saturday, as badminton stars Treesa Jolly and Gayatri Gopichand pulled off a massive upset against the world's third-ranked pair. In a high-octane encounter, the Indian duo overcame home favorites Mayu Matsumoto and Yuki Fukushima of Japan to secure their spot in the women's doubles quarterfinals.
The match was a grueling test of nerves, with the Indians winning 24-22, 21-18. Having already defeated the Japanese pair in the team event, Treesa and Gayatri proved their mettle once again. After a marathon opening game, the Indians faced a setback in the second set, trailing 8-11. However, they displayed immense resilience to level the score at 15-15. Despite a late surge from the Japanese duo that brought the score to 18-18, the Indians maintained an aggressive attacking stance to clinch the match and move one step closer to an Asian Games medal.
Badminton: Unnati Hooda Shines in Singles
The upsets continued in the women's singles category, where teenager Unnati Hooda delivered a standout performance. The 19-year-old sensation defeated Indonesia's world No. 6, Putri Kusuma Wardani, with a score of 21-19, 21-13. Hooda's clinical display has earned her a quarterfinal berth, where she will face Japan's world No. 3 Akane Yamaguchi.
Looking ahead, the Indian doubles pair is set for a challenging quarterfinal clash against Malaysia's world No. 5 duo, Pearly Tan and Thinaah Muralitharan.
Squash: Abhay and Anahat Secure Final Spots
India's dominance extended to the squash courts, with both Abhay Singh and Anahat Singh booking their places in their respective singles finals.
- Men's Singles: Abhay Singh secured a straight-games victory against Pakistan's Muhammad Irfan, winning 11-3, 12-10, 11-6. Abhay's control in the final game ensured his place in the gold medal match, where he will face either Malaysia's Eain Yow Ng or Pakistan's Noor Zaman.
- Women's Singles: Anahat Singh showed incredible grit to overcome Japan's Satomi Watanabe in a five-game thriller, winning 3-2 to advance to the final.
In the mixed doubles squash event, the pair of Joshna Chinappa and Velavan Senthilkumar finished with a bronze medal after a hard-fought semifinal loss to Hong Kong's Tang Ming Hong and Lee Ka Yi.
India's Medal Tally Grows
The day was filled with multi-sport success for the Indian contingent. The women's kabaddi team successfully defended their title by defeating Iran 37-34 to claim gold. In athletics, Sawan Barwal secured a silver medal in the men's marathon, setting a new national record with a time of 2:11:37.
Other notable achievements included:
- Silver: Ashi Chouksey, Tilottama Sen, and Vidarsa Vinod in the women's 50m rifle 3 positions team event.
With these latest additions, India's total medal count has reached 27, consisting of three gold, 11 silver, and 13 bronze medals, keeping the nation firmly positioned in the overall standings.