The Indian men's badminton team concluded its campaign at the 2026 Asian Games with a bronze medal after suffering a 1-3 loss to China in the semifinals on September 23. India fought back to level the tie early on, but the Chinese squad held firm in the decisive matches to secure a spot in the gold medal contest. Despite falling short of the final, the Indian contingent created a notable slice of history at the continental tournament.
By claiming the bronze, India secured back-to-back team medals in men's badminton at the Asian Games for the first time in four decades. The country had previously earned consecutive men's team bronze medals at the 1982 and 1986 editions. This achievement adds to the silver medal the Indian men secured at the 2023 Hangzhou Asian Games, where they had also finished runners-up behind China in the team competition.
Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty Level the Tie
India's solitary victory in the five-match tie came courtesy of the star doubles pairing of Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty. Stepping onto the court after India dropped the opening singles fixture, the duo squared off against reigning world champions and Paris Olympic silver medalists Liang Wei Keng and Wang Chang.
Rankireddy and Shetty delivered a clinical performance, dominating the opening exchanges and maintaining their composure in the closing moments of the second game. The Indian pair triumphed 21-11, 22-20 to get their team on the board and restore parity in the semifinal at 1-1.
Singles Defeats for Lakshya Sen and Ayush Shetty Put China Ahead
The semifinal tie commenced with the first singles match featuring Lakshya Sen against world number six Shi Yu Qi. World number 14 Sen, who had been instrumental in guiding India through the earlier rounds, faced stiff resistance from the start. Shi managed the critical rallies with precision, edging past Sen in straight games with a 21-16, 21-18 victory to hand China the initial lead.
After the doubles squad tied the fixture, India turned to world number 20 Ayush Shetty in the second singles clash against world number 12 Li Shi Feng. Shetty mounted a gritty fight in the opening set, pushing his opponent all the way before narrowly conceding it. Li shifted gears in the second game, pulling away to register a 21-19, 21-13 victory and giving China a 2-1 overall cushion.
Hariharan Amsakarunan and MR Arjun Falter in Decisive Doubles
With India facing elimination, the responsibility fell on the world number 25 pairing of Hariharan Amsakarunan and MR Arjun. They came up against China's formidable combination of He Ji Ting and Liu Yi in the second doubles encounter.
The Chinese pair claimed the opening game 21-16, but Amsakarunan and Arjun responded with determination in the second, executing sharp attacks to take it 21-17 and force a deciding game. However, He and Liu dominated the third game from the opening points, capitalizing on unforced errors to close out the set 21-9. The result sealed a 3-1 victory for China, sending them into the Asian Games final while confirming India's bronze medal finish.
