Asian Games 2023: Indian women's badminton team out after quarter-final loss against Thailand

India has won two bronze medals in women's team event in the year 1982 and 2014.

The Indian women's badminton team faced a setback in the ongoing Asian Games 2023 in Hangzhou, as they were eliminated in the quarterfinals of the team competition. Unfortunately, India suffered a disappointing 0-3 defeat to Thailand in their quarter-final match, missing out on a chance to medal.

At the 19th edition of the Asian Games in Hangzhou, the Indian women's badminton team faced a challenging quarter-final match against Thailand. The team's hopes rested on the shoulders of two-time Olympic medalist PV Sindhu, who kicked off the proceedings against Thailand's Pornpawee Chochuwong.

Initially, Sindhu displayed promising form, clinching the first game with a score of 21-14. However, the match took a turn as she struggled in the subsequent games, losing 15-21 and 14-21. Ultimately, after a hard-fought 67-minute battle, she succumbed to defeat, handing Thailand a 1-0 lead.

The setback continued further as India's top women's doubles pair of Treesa Jolly and Gayatri Gopichand faced Rawinda Prajongjai and Jongkolphan Kititharakul. They made an amazing come back in the first game from 10-19 to 19-20. Unfortunately, the Indian duo was overpowered, suffering a 19-21, 5-21 loss in straight games. This defeat handed Thailand a commanding 2-0 lead.

In the third match of the tie, Ashmita Chaliha faced a defeat against Busanan Ongbamrungphan, losing 9-21, 16-21. This unfortunate outcome marked the conclusion of the women's team's journey in the Asian Games.

It's worth noting that the Indian team had shown promise by securing a win in the round of 16 to advance to the quarterfinals, but they couldn't maintain their momentum against a strong Thai opponent. Later in the day, Indian men's team will fight against Nepal for a place in the quarterfinals to assure themselves minimum of a medal.