Asian Games: HS Prannoy wins in badminton men’s singles quarterfinal match

Prannoy Haseena Sunil Kumar scripted history with his win in the men's singles badminton quarterfinal match

Hangzhou: Indian badminton player Prannoy Haseena Sunil Kumar scripted history with his win in the men’s singles badminton quarterfinal match as he confirmed a medal at the ongoing Asian Games in Hangzhou on Thursday.

HS Prannoy clinched a 1-2 against Malaysia’s Zii Jia Lee in a 78-minute encounter. In the first set, the Indian won by 16-21, but in the second set, the Malaysian made a comeback in the match and it was by 23-21. However, Prannoy maintained his consistency and sealed the third set by 22-20.

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Earlier, Prannoy beat Dmitriy Panarin of Kazakhstan by 2-0 (21-12, 21-13), winning the match in straight two games within 29 minutes to reach the quarter-finals.

Prannoy will face the winner of the match between Indonesia’s Anthony Ginting and China’s Li Shi Feng in the semifinal on Friday.

Earlier on Thursday, the star Indian women’s shuttler and two-time Olympic medalist PV Sindhu lost against China’s Bingjiao He in the quarterfinal round of badminton women’s singles match. Sindhu lost the match by 2-0 (21-16, 21-12). With the loss in the quarterfinal, PV Sindhu failed to advance her way in the tournament.

Indian shuttlers Sai Pratheek and Tanisha Crasto bowed out in the mixed doubles round of 16 while the other duo of Treesa Jolly and Gayatri Gopichand lost in the women’s doubles round of 16 on Wednesday.

Sai Pratheek and Tanisha Crasto faced defeat against world number 9 Malaysian pair Chen Tang Jie and Toh Ee Wei by 21-18, 21-8, and Treesa-Gayatri lost 21-15, 18-21, 21-13 against South Korea’s Kim Soyeong and Kong Heeyong.

Last Sunday, the Indian men’s badminton team created history after they bagged the first-ever silver medal in badminton at the Asian Games after losing in the final 2-23 against China in Hangzhou.

In the medal tally, India stands in fourth place with a total of 82 medals, which includes 19 gold, 31 silver, and 32 bronze medals.