Asian Games 2023 Badminton Results Day 7: Indian men's team enter the final after a historic win against South Korea

In a thrilling semifinal at the Asian Games 2023 on Saturday, September 30, India's men's badminton team made history with a victory over the South Korean team, securing their place in the finals of the team event. The nail-biting clash ended 3-2 in India's favor.

A closer look at the results

The opening match featured India's HS Prannoy, who is in the form of his life. The 2023 Malaysian Masters gold medalist won a marathon battle against his South Korean opponent as the game lasted a grueling 78 minutes. Prannoy showcased his brilliance, winning with a score of 18-21, 21-16, 21-19. His remarkable victory set the tone for India.

Following Prannoy's heroics, the World No. 2 doubles pair, Chirag Shetty and Satwiksairaj Rankireddy, took the court. Their opponents, the Korean duo of Seungjae Seo and Minhyuk Kang, proved to be a formidable challenge, and despite giving a tough fight, Shetty and Rankireddy narrowly succumbed, with a final score of 13-21, 24-26.

In the third match, Lakshya Sen delivered a masterclass on the court. He made easy work of his opponent, Lee Yungyu, winning with a dominating scoreline of 21-7, 21-9. Sen's emphatic victory swung the momentum in India's favor and gave them a 2-1 lead in the tie.

However, the rollercoaster of emotions continued in the fourth match as Arjun MR and Dhruv Kapila took on their South Korean counterparts. The duo engaged in a fierce battle, but despite their best efforts, the Indian pair couldn't clinch a victory. They went down 21-16, 21-11, leveling the tie at 2-2.

With the fate of the tie hanging by a thread, the stage was set for India's champion and former World No. 1, Kidambi Srikanth. In a high-pressure situation, Srikanth showcased his experience and skill, prevailing over his Korean counterpart Cho Geonyeop with a scoreline of 12-21, 21-16, 21-14.

His victory secured India's historic win in the semi-finals of the team event and confirmed their place in the final for the first time in the history of Asian Games.

This win for India in men's badminton at the Asian Games 2023 was not a surprise, as the Indian shuttlers have been consistently performing well as a team. Last year, they made history by winning the prestigious Thomas Cup for the first time in history.