National badminton coach Pullela Gopichand today lavished praise on the women's shuttlers for assuring India a bronze medal after reaching the semifinals of the team event in the 17th Asian Games here.
India today ended a 28-year-old medal drought in Asian Games badminton after the women's shuttlers, led by Saina Nehwal and P V Sindhu, edged out Thailand 3-2 to reach the semifinals of the women's team event.
After Saina and Sindhu registered contrasting victories in the first two singles, scratch combination of Sindhu and Ashwini Ponnappa finally assured India the bronze medal after they clinched the deciding women's doubles match.
"Our first doubles combination of Sikki and Pradnya could have pulled it off but they lost closely but Ashwini and Sindhu played wonderfully well to pull it off in the end," Gopichand said after the match.
"Saina also showed lots of guts to pull off the match in the third game after she was 6-11 down. Sindhu's badminton was also phenomenal. It will be tough match tomorrow (against Korea) as they have good singles and doubles players," he added.
Former chief coach Vimal Kumar, who trained Saina for the last three weeks in Bangalore and is currently with the team, was gung ho about India assuring a medal.
"This is the first time we are going to India after winning a medal since 1986 when we won the bronze in men's team championship in Seoul," he said.
Doubles specialist Ashwini, who won the Commonwealth Games gold and silver in 2010 and 2014 along with Jwala Gutta, said they were ready for the decider.
"We expected it will come to us and we were ready for the challenge. Sindhu is a very good doubles player and her experience in international badminton has helped her a lot," said Ashwini, one half of the 2011 World Championship bronze medallist.
Two-time bronze medallist at the World Championship, Sindhu said: "I am very happy to pull it off for the team.
