Asian Games 2023: India win bronze medals in recurve women's team archery, badminton

India clinched a bronze medal in recurve women’s team archery event at the 19th Asian Games in Hangzhou on Friday. It is India’s fourth medal in archery and 87th overall in what has been a historic campaign.

The team of Ankita Bhakat, Bhajan Kaur and Simranjeet Kaur emerged better than the Vietnam trio, winning 6-2 (56-22, 55-56, 57-50, 51-48).

India had qualified for the final after convincing and comfortable wins over Thailand (in the 1/8 Elimination Round), Japan (in the quarter-finals) before taking out the much-fancied South Korea (in the semi-finals).

HS Prannoy wins bronze in men’s singles badminton

HS Prannoy’s remarkable run at the Asian Games came to a close in the semi-finals of the men’s singles badminton. He went down 16-21, 9-21 to Shifeng Li to take the bronze medal. It is India’s first medal in men’s singles badminton at an Asian Games since Syed Modi had won a bronze in 1982.

Prannoy seemingly ran out of gas after a physically and mentally draining quarter-final a day ago. In it, Prannoy squandered two match points while saving two match points of his own to beat Lee Zii Jia of Malaysia. Prannoy had come through 21-16, 21-23, 22-20 in that herculean 78 minute duel.

India men’s cricket team into gold medal match

India thumped Bangladesh by nine wickets to power into the gold medal match as they bid to win the Asian Games title on their first attempt.

India, having skipped the cricket event at 2010 and 2014 Asian Games, is taking part in the multi-sport extravaganza for the first time.

On an overcast day at the Zhejiang University of Technology Pingfeng Cricket Field, India won the toss and chose to field on a pitch that has aided spinners.

It proved to be the case again, with Bangladesh stumbling to 96/9. Sai Kishore grabbed 3/12 and Washington Sundar 2/15.

Only three Bangladesh batters reached double figures, led by Jaker Ali’s unbeaten 24.

While Bangladesh struggled, India made it look easy in their run to the small target. They got to the target in 9.2 overs for the loss of one wicket. Tilak Varma was 55 not out and skipper Ruturaj Gaikwad unbeaten on 40.

The chase, however, endured a horror start with Yashasvi Jaiswal, centurion in the quarter-final against Nepal, out for a duck in the first over.

But Gaikwad seized back control, plundering 20 runs in the third over including consecutives sixes off fast bowler Ripon Mondol.

Varma got in on the act in the next over, also crashing straight sixes, this time off Mrittunjoy Chowdhury, as they raced to 50/1.

In contrast, Bangladesh had found runs hard to come by. India got the breakthrough in the fifth over with Mahmudul Hasan Joy holing out to Jaiswal at mid-on off Kishore.

Skipper Saif Hassan and Zakir Hasan were both out in the space of three balls.

Emon ground 23 off 32, but he too succumbed to spin, shanking to cover off Varma as Bangladesh crawled to 36-4 in the ninth over.

Gaikwad’s decision to deploy Kishore again paid immediate dividends with Afif Hossain and Shahadat Hossain both out to soft dismissals, before Ali’s late flurry.

India will take on Pakistan or Afghanistan in the gold medal match.

India women’s kabaddi team into final

In women’s kabaddi, two-time former champions India inflicted a rout on Nepal and progressed to a fourth successive final. India beat Nepal 61-17 and would be keen to make amends for last edition’s silver medal.

Pooja Hathwala and Pushpa Rana spearheaded India’s attacking department and ensured a commanding 29-10 lead at half time.

Overall, India inflicted five all-out in the match to book their place in the fourth out of four finals in the women’s kabaddi event at the continental showpiece.

The men’s team, which had bagged a bronze medal in 2018, face Pakistan later in the day.

(with inputs from PTI, AFP)