Credit: Twitter
On October 7, Saturday, Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty of India created history by winning the first ever gold for the country in badminton at the Asian Games. At the Binjiang Gymnasium BDM Court 1 in Hangzhou, the Indian duo got the better of Choi Solgyu and Kim Wonho of South Korea by 21-18, 21-16 in the men’s doubles competition.
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The first game of the men’s doubles badminton final was a pulsating battle, which saw Solgyu and Wonho take the 11-9 lead at the break. Rankireddy and Shetty were staring at a loss of the first game with a 15-18 deficit, but then, the Indian duo clinched six consecutive points in an epic comeback, to take it 21-18 in 29 minutes.
The momentum continued for Rankireddy and Shetty in the second game, which saw them take a commanding 11-7 lead at the break. Solgyu and Wonho tried to make a one last comeback to the final, but the Indian duo managed to keep them at bay to take the second game by 21-16 in 27 minutes, to create history in badminton at the Asian Games 2023.
Prior to Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty securing the first ever gold medal for India in badminton at the Asiad, the country had only two silver medals in the 61 year history of the multi-sporting continental event. PV Sindhu had clinched the first silver for India in the women’s singles in Jakarta-Palembang 2018, before the Indian men’s team brought home the second silver from the ongoing Asian Games 2023 in Hangzhou.
