Indonesia beat China to clinch first Asia mixed team badminton title

NEW DELHI: Indonesia took home its first gold at the Asia Mixed Team Badminton Championship on Sunday, defeating two-time defending champion China. Cheered by a roaring crowd at the Conson Sports Centre in the eastern city of Qingdao, the Indonesian shuttlers breezed through the competition, stunning their Chinese opponents with a dominant 3-1 win.

Indonesia’s Muhammad Shohibul Fikri and Daniel Marthin outplayed China’s Chen Xujun and Huang Di 21-15, 21-9 in the decisive men’s doubles to seal the victory, prompting the stadium to erupt in celebration and the entire Indonesian team to rush onto the court to yell and dance in a circle.

Mixed doubles pair Rinov Rivaldy and Siti Fadia Silva Ramadhanti gained an early lead for the team in the first match against China’s Gao Jiaxuan and Wu Mengying. The Indonesian shuttlers, on Saturday, bounced back from a rocky start to beat Thailand 3-1, winning three consecutive matches after dropping the first, propelling them to the finals for the first time.

China, on the same day, overcame a tough semifinal against Japan, with the men’s doubles pair Chen Xujun and Huang Di edging their opponents out to win the third game, securing a narrow 3-2 victory.

Japan and Thailand picked up the bronze medals.

China won the 2023 championship with a comfortable 3-1 victory over South Korea in Dubai and in 2019 when they beat Japan 3-2 in Hong Kong. Agencies

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