2024 Paris Olympics: How did Indian badminton contingent fare?
India's 2024 Paris Olympics campaign came to an end with wrestler's Reetika Hooda elimination from the 76 kg event. The Indian contingent, comprising 117 athletes, bagged six medals at the Paris Games. It was first time since the 2008 Beijing Games that India did not win an Olympic medal in badminton. Lakshya Sen came close to winning one but eventually finished fourth.
A look at India's badminton contingent
Two-time Olympic medalist PV Sindhu was India's only representative in the women's singles category. Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty, who won the Asian Games gold, took part in men's doubles. India fielded HS Prannoy and Lakshya Sen in the men's singles segment. The duo also clashed in the R16 match. Meanwhile, Tanisha Crasto and Ashwini Ponnappa braced the women's doubles segment.
Sindhu misses her third Olympic medal
India's ace shuttler Sindhu missed out on a medal after losing to China's He Bingjiao in the Round of 16. Bingjiao won the clash, 21-19, 21-14. Sindhu could have become the first-ever Indian athlete to win three individual Olympic medals. While she clinched a historic silver in the 2016 Rio Games, the Indian shuttler returned with a bronze in the 2020 Tokyo Olympics.
Sen loses bronze medal match
Sen was the closest among his compatriots to win a medal in Paris. However, Malaysia's seventh seed Lee Zii defeated him in the men's singles bronze medal match. Sen could have been the first-ever Indian male badminton player with a medal at the Olympic Games. Sen earlier defeated China's Chou Tien Chen to make the semis, where he lost to Denmark's Viktor Axelsen.
Memorable Olympics debut for Prannoy
HS Prannoy had a memorable Olympics debut as he beat Germany's Fabian Roth. Prannoy then staged an incredible fightback against Vietnam's Le Duc Phat. He won the match after being a game down. Prannoy's campaign came to an end with his defeat to Sen.
Satwiksairaj, Chirag lose in quarter-finals
India's Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty missed the badminton men's doubles semi-finals berth after losing to Aaron Chia and Soh Wooi Yik. The Indian pair lost the quarter-finals in three games to the Malasian pair, which won the bronze medal at the 2020 Tokyo Games. Satwiksairaj and Chirag earlier beat Indonesia's Fajar Alfian and Muhammad Rian Ardianto.
Crasto, Ponnappa return winless
Tanisha Crasto and Ashwini Ponnappa, India's women's doubles pair, lost three successive maches besides showing fight. They finished fourth in after losing each of their three matches. A defeat to Setyana Mapasa and Angela Yu knocked them out.
