Nagoya: Lakshya Sen’s stirring comeback provided the ideal storyline as the Indian men’s badminton team delivered a superlative performance to outwit hosts Japan in the quarterfinals and secure a medal on Tuesday, though the women’s team exited following a 1-3 defeat to the host nation.
It proved a flawless display from the Indian men, silver medallists at the previous edition, propelled by victories from Lakshya, the doubles pair of Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty, and Ayush Shetty.
Entering the tournament following a sequence of early exits and low on confidence, Lakshya faced imminent defeat after dropping the opening game and falling behind 14-19 in the final game.
However, the 25-year-old from Almora demonstrated his composure, claiming seven consecutive points to defeat world No. 7 and two-time World Championship silver medallist Kodai Naraoka 11-21, 21-5, 21-19, establishing a 1-0 lead for India.
In the opening doubles rubber, Satwik and Chirag, who have secured two titles this season, recorded a 21-18, 24-22 victory over former world champions Hoki Takuro and Kobayashi Yugo to double India’s advantage to 2-0.
Ayush, a finalist at this year’s Badminton Asia Championships, then produced a commanding performance to defeat world No. 16 Koki Watanabe 21-10, 21-19, sealing the tie and guaranteeing a medal for India.
India will advance to face the winner of the quarterfinal between defending champions China and South Korea in the semi-finals on Wednesday.
“It’s a great win today for our men’s team over Japan at the Asian Games in Japan. This brings back some very special memories of the 1986 Asian Games in Seoul,” former India coach Vimal Kumar said.
Kumar represented the Indian men’s badminton squad at the 1986 Games alongside Prakash Padukone, Syed Modi, Uday Pawar, Ravi Kunte, Leroy D’Sa, and Sanat Misra.
“One of the most memorable moments of our campaign was our victory over Japan. Prakash and I won our respective singles matches, and Prakash, partnering Uday Pawar, won the men’s doubles. It was a proud moment for all of us and a memorable victory for Indian badminton,” he said.
“Great to see similar memories being created again. It takes me right back to Seoul 1986,” he added.
The victory lifted spirits following the women’s team’s elimination earlier in the day.
While World Championship bronze medallists Treesa Jolly and Gayatri Gopichand delivered a clinical doubles win, India’s singles players faltered as the women’s team bowed out of the quadrennial event with a 1-3 defeat to Japan in the quarterfinal stage.
Lakshya vs Naraoka
The approach to the Games had proved challenging for world No. 14 Lakshya, who suffered an early departure at the home World Championships after losing to the United States’ Garrett Tan, ranked world No. 92 at the time.
His mentor Vimal Kumar later disclosed that he had been managing a back injury.
Facing a high-pressure encounter against an opponent who had beaten him in four of their previous five meetings, Lakshya initially struggled as the atmospheric drift inside the arena created difficulties.
Lakshya quickly conceded the opening game. However, following a court-side talk with chief coach Pullela Gopichand and a change of ends, the Indian executed an emphatic turnaround, dominating the second game with targeted smashes toward his opponent’s backhand to build an 11-2 advantage.
The Almora native maintained momentum to reach 16-3, combining varied shot selection while Naraoka struggled with length control. Lakshya closed out the second game when the Japanese player lifted past the baseline.
In the deciding game, Lakshya remained competitive early on, though Naraoka secured an 11-6 lead at the interval.
The Japanese player extended his advantage to 16-10 despite persistent rally play from Lakshya.
Two unforced errors from Lakshya subsequently pushed the Japanese competitor to a 19-14 lead.
The Indian then mounted a late recovery, taking four straight points as Naraoka committed errors under pressure.
Lakshya executed two precise line returns to earn match point before closing out the contest when Naraoka hit into the net.
Sindhu vs Yamaguchi
PV Sindhu started strongly in her singles match, recovering from a 13-17 deficit to claim the opening game 23-21 against Akane Yamaguchi.
The fixture between the two former world champions featured prolonged exchanges, averaging 35 to 36 shots per rally.
Sindhu earned an initial game point, but a line misjudgement permitted Yamaguchi to level the score.
The Indian secured a second game point after her opponent hit the net, before finalising the game with a cross-court forehand winner.
Following the change of sides, Yamaguchi established a two-point lead at the mid-game break. Sindhu rallied from 12-17 down, but the Japanese player held firm to claim the second game 21-18.
Yamaguchi established total control in the deciding game, building a 14-6 advantage.
Yamaguchi ultimately earned 10 match points and secured the tie with a precise return.