Indian men’s team showed spectacular skill and unwavering determination to outwit China 2-1 and reach the finals of the bridge competition, assuring the country of at least a silver medal at the Asian Games on Wednesday. Indian men, represented by Jaggy Shivdasani, Sandeep Thakral, Sumit Mukherjee, Rajeshwar Tiwari, Raju Tolani and Ajay Khare, will face Hong Kong in the gold medal match on Friday. India had clinched a bronze medal in Jakarta Games 2018. After a riveting 96-board match that spanned two gruelling days and 15 hours of intense play, India garnered 155.60 points in total, while the host nation settled for 135 points.
(Asian Games 2023 Medals Tally | Asian Games 2023 Full Schedule)
In the other semifinals, Hong Kong, 153 points, defeated Japan, 118 points.
However, India began the day with a below par effort, conceding the first session to China 16-36.
But the Indian players staged a fine comeback in the second session at noon defeating China 37-24.
In the decisive third and final session in the evening, Indian team upped its game to go past China 35-25 to earn their spot in the summit clash.
The dynamic pair of Rajeshwar, an illustrious IIT alumni holding a leadership position at HCL Technologies, and Sumit, who is from Indian Railways, delivered a flawless execution, while Jaggy and his partner Sandeep also played an outstanding game to contribute to the triumph.
Ajay Khare, a member of the Indian Bridge Team, also showed his mental fortitude as he decided to stay back despite learning the devastating news of his mother’s death on September 30th.
Indian women’s and mixed teams earlier could not reach the semifinals.
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