India men’s quadrant wins bronze in sepaktakraw

Nagoya India secured a bronze medal in the men’s quadrant event of sepaktakraw at the Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games after losing 0-2 to Japan in the semi-final at the Nagoya City Mizuho Park Gymnasium on Friday. The Indian team of Malemnganba Singh Sorokhaibam, Ram Kumar Sharma, Bobby Kumar and Akash Yumnam went down to Japan’s Yuki Sato, Ryota Haruhara, Wataru Narawa and Yota Ichikawa in a closely fought contest. Japan won both games by narrow margins of 15-12 and 15-13. The medal is only India’s third in sepaktakraw at the Asian Games. India had earlier won a bronze in the men’s team regu event at the 2018 Jakarta Games before securing a bronze in the women’s team regu competition at the 2023 Hangzhou Games. India’s men’s quadrant had enjoyed an impressive run in the group stage, finishing top of Group A after winning all three matches. The team defeated World Cup champions Myanmar and also secured victories over Vietnam and Laos to qualify for the semi-finals and assure itself of a medal. India’s women’s quadrant campaign ended in the group stage after the team finished fourth in Group A without a win from three matches. The women’s doubles team also failed to progress after finishing fourth in Group B without winning a game. The men’s regu team finished third in Group B with one victory and two defeats. The bronze added to India’s medal tally at the Games, which reached 72 medals after Friday’s events. India won six medals on the day, including gold medals for boxer Lovlina Borgohain in the women’s 75kg category and the women’s recurve archery team of Ankita Bhakat, Kirti and Kumkum Mohod. Kumkum Mohod and Dhiraj Bommadevara won silver in mixed team recurve archery, while Dhiraj, Neeraj Chauhan and Yashdeep Bhoge secured silver in the men’s recurve team event. Sailor Nethra Kumanan added a bronze in the women’s dinghy.