Asia Badminton Championship 2019: India's challenge comes to an end as Saina, Sindhu, Verma crash out

Wuhan, April 26: The Indian challenge at Asia Badminton Championship 2019 came to an end as star shuttlers PV Sindhu, Saina Nehwal and Sameer Verma all crashed out of the competition following their defeats in the quarter-finals here on Friday (April 26).

India hasn't won a single medal in the competition's history of 54 years and the wait has just got longer.

In the men's singles contest, Sameer lost to World No. 2 Shi Yuqi 10-21, 12-21 in just 36 minutes. While Saina was defeated by Japan's Akane Yamaguchi 13-21, 23-21, 16-21 in a match that lasted 61 minutes.

However, fourth seed and world No. 6 Sindhu's defeat at the hands of world No. 17 Cai Yanyan of China came as a surprise to many. He was ousted in just 31 minutes by losing 19-21, 9-21.

A Herculean task awaited Sameer in the last eight round as he clashed with second seed Shi Yuqi and was decimated.

Earlier on Thursday, the London Olympic bronze medallist Saina needed just 38 minutes to get the better of Kim Ga Eun of Korea to enter the last eight round of the women's singles event.

The other Indian in fray, Sindhu took just 33 minutes to beat Indonesia's Choirunnisa 21-15 21-19 in another second round women's singles match.

Besides the female duo, Sameer Verma too continued his impressive run by progressing to the men's singles quarterfinals. Sameer brushed aside Hong Kong's Ng Ka Long Angus 21-12 21-19 in his second round encounter.

(With inputs from PTI)