Asian Games: Indian men's badminton team knocked out

The Indian men's badminton team lost to South Korea 0-3 in the pre-quarterfinals of the 17th Asian Games at the Gyeyang Gymnasium here Saturday.

Doubles pair of B. Sumeeth Reddy-Manu Attri, Kidambi Srikanth and recently-crowned Commonwealth Games champion Parupalli Kashyap, all lost their matches against the host nation.

Srikanth, up against world No.7 Son Wan-ho, lost his match 14-21, 8-21 while the team of Reddy-Attri found the going hard against world No.1 pair of Yoo Yeon Seong-Lee Yong Dae, losing 12-21, 9-21 in an encounter which lasted just 35 minutes.

The onus of keeping India in contention fell to world No.28 Kashyap, but the 28-year-old was stunned by world No.62 Lee Hyun Il.

Kashyap started aggressively, winning the first game comfortably 21-6.

Kashyap, however, suddenly seemed to lose all rhythm and lost the next two games 14-21, 10-21 to hand the hosts an easy passage through to the quarterfinals where they will play Japan.

India had lost to South Korea in the Thomas Cup held at New Delhi but it was expected that the Pullela Gopichand-coached side would avenge the defeat, but it was not to be.

Indian women's team plays its quarterfinal tie against Thailand, later Saturday.