Badminton: Team led by PV Sindhu lose 0-3 to Thailand, bows out of Asian Games
The Indian women's team, led by PV Sindhu, failed to put up a fight against Thailand, going down 0-3 in the quarterfinals to crash out of the Asian Games on Friday.
It was always going to be a tall task for India to tame the Thai, who boast the likes of former world champion Ratchanok Intanon, world no. 12 Pornpawee Chochuwong and world no. 17 Supanida Katethong in their ranks. However, India couldn't produce a fight with two-time Olympic medallist Sindhu being the only one to take a game off during her 21-14 15-21 14-21 loss against Chochuwong in the opening women's singles match.
After the opening reversal, the onus fell on World number 17 Treesa Jolly and Gayatri Gopichand to bring India back in contention but the duo lost steam, losing 19-21 5-21 to Jongkolphan Kittitharakul and Rawinda Prajongjai, ranked 10th, in women's doubles. The left-handed Ashmita Chaliha was then humbled by Busanan Ongbamrungphan 9-21, 16-21 in the third match to shut the door on India's medal hopes.
The women's team had won a bronze medal in the 2014 edition in Incheon.
Later in the day, the men's team, led by HS Prannoy, will look to seal India's first badminton medal in the 19th edition when they face Nepal in the quarterfinals.
