Women’s Badminton 18th Asian Games 2018

18th  Asian Games Jakarta

Palembang 2018

Japan wins gold in Women’s Badminton

In

Asian Games 2018

Antara/Palembang/ Jakarta

The Japan women's badminton team won gold after defeating China 3-1 in the final at Istora Senayan on Wednesday. With the victory, Japan improves on its performance at the 2014 Asian Games in Incheon, where it won bronze.

Japan women's singles shuttler Akane Yamahuchi lost to lower-ranked Chen Yu Fei 21-15, 21-12. Akane, who is currently ranked number two in the world, said she did not play her best in the first match of the team event. Chen is now ranked fifth in the world.

Japan was able to equalize in the second match through a brilliant performance from Yuki Fukushima and Sayaka Hirota, who won 21-12, 21-17 over Chen Qing Chen and Jia Yi Fan.

“Just like yesterday's match, whatever the situation is, we will try to give our best. Moreover, our opponent today was the Chinese team. They are a tough team,” Fukushima said.

Japan doubled its lead after its second singles player, Nozomi Okuhara, defeated He Bing Jiao 21-16, 19-21, 21-15.

Play was halted at 16-14 in the second game as He Bing was forced to treat her left shoulder after falling while going for the shuttlecock. Despite the setback, the left-handed He managed to win the second game. In the third game, Okuhara, who is now ranked eighth in the world, led 17-6 at one point.

However, thanks to tough play, and with unforced errors from Okuhara, He tallied eight consecutive points to reduce the deficit to 17-14. Okuhara was nevertheless able to restore her rhythm to close out the match with a win, giving Japan its second team point.

Japan clinched the gold medal after its second doubles pair, Misaki Matsutomo and Ayaka Takahashi, won 21-16, 21-11 over China's Huang Dong Ping and Zheng Yu.

With the result, the China women's team fails to repeat on its gold medal-winning performance at the previous Games.