Asian Games 2023 Highlights September 27: Medals galore for India as shooters step up; dominant performances in Table Tennis

Asian Games 2023 Highlights, September 27: India had a terrific day today, adding two Gold medals, three Silvers and two Bronze medals to their tally on the back of the Shooters' performances. Follow Sportskeeda for Asian Games 2023 live Score updates on September 27.

Whew! It's been quite a day, hasn't it? Started off with large inflow of medals for India as the shooters made merry. Right from Esha Singh's heroics to Sift Kaur Samra breaking the world record to Anant Jeet Singh Naruka's silver - it has been a day to celebrate and rejoice. A bronze coming through in sailing as well for India, and as many as two Gold medals being added to the tally courtesy of the shooting contingent. Lots of progress in all racquet sports and some heartbreaks too. That's all we have for you then from today's action. Join us back tomorrow as the action builds up at the Asian Games! Until then, it's good night from our side.

SQUASH

Men's Pool A: India vs Pakistan (1-2)
Mahesh Mangaonkar vs Nasir Iqbal (Game 3: 8-11)
(Match: 1-3)

That was a supremely competitive match. After looking like he was out of it, Mahesh Mangaonkar gave it his all and brought himself and India back into the match. But it wasn't to be in the end. Plenty of heart, some great rallies and a LOT of bickering between the players and the referees, but it is Nasir Iqbal and Pakistan who come out on top here.

BASKETBALL

End of Quarter 4: INDIA beat INDONESIA 66-46!

Brilliant showing by India! They managed to come from behind and win this game against Indonesia. A stellar showing by the Indian girls has meant that they have emerged winners over their opponents. This is a wn that will go down in history as one of the greatest of all time.

TENNIS

Rutuja Bhosale/Rohan Bopanna 6-3, 6-4 Shimizu Ayano/Hazawa Shinji

India win! Rutuja and Rohan progress to the fourth round. The second set was alternating between service holds for both countries and in the 7th game, the Indians broke the Japanese duo and that sealed their opponents' fate. A flawless service game sealed the match and they progress.

BASKETBALL

Quarter 4: INDIA 62 - 44 INDONESIA

India keep surging ahead! This game is now well and truly India's to lose. We have reached the business end of the fourth quarter. India need to keep their nerve.

BASKETBALL

Quarter 4: INDIA 49 - 39 INDONESIA

And yes, they have taken the lead once again! India are surging ahead in the decisive quarter of this game and challenging Indonesia to come from behind.

SQUASH

Men's Pool A: India vs Pakistan (1-1)
Mahesh Mangaonkar vs Nasir Iqbal (Game 3: 11-9)
(Match: 1-2)

And India are still alive in the tie. Mahesh fought and he fought and he fought some more. He keeps India's hopes alive. Nasir Iqbal came back from 9-6 down to bring it to 9-9 before Mahesh closed the game. And the Indians live to fight another day...err...game.

BASKETBALL

End of Quarter 3: INDIA 38 - 36 INDONESIA

The third quarter comes to an end and the two teams are almost tied! This will allow India to take a breather and come back and assess where they went wrong. They need to build a big lead over their opponents.

TENNIS

Set 2: Rutuja Bhosale/Rohan Bopanna 3-3 Shimizu Ayano/Hazawa Shinji(Set 1: 6-3)

The second set is being played in a back-and-forth service hold by both nations. It looks like a break will suffice or could be decided on a tiebreak.

BRIDGE

India began its campaign in the sport of Bridge as well today. Here's the results from today:

Men’s Team:
India 18.04 - 1.96 Philippines
India 10.97 - 9.03 Singapore
India 10.66 - 9.34 Bangladesh
India 12-0 against no competitor

Women’s Team
India 7.84-12.16 Thailand
India 11.87-8.13 South Korea
India 0-20 Chinese Taipei

Mixed Team
India 12-0 against no competitor
India 3.28 - 16.72 Hong Kong
India 17.19 - 2.81 South Korea
India 7.56 - 12.44 Philippines

BASKETBALL

Quarter 3: INDIA 38 - 36 INDONESIA

This game is going at a breathtaking pace. Neither side is willing to concede an inch to the other, and this is what is making it all the more exciting. India are only slightly ahead of Indonesia at the moment.

TENNIS

Ankita Raina/Yuki Bhambri 4-6, 6-4, 8-10 Alex Eala/Alcantara Francis C

Phillipines win!
A thrilling tiebreak goes down to the wire as the Filipinos serve well to edge past the Indians. It has been a tough-fought contest, with both sides giving it their all but in the end, it is the Philippines duo that emerge on top.

SQUASH

Men's Pool A: India vs Pakistan (1-1)
Mahesh Mangaonkar vs Nasir Iqbal (Game 1: 11-13)
(Match: 0-2)

That game was as close as they get but Nasir Iqbal comes out on top in the end. The Pakistani does well to hold his nerve to go 2-0 up in the match and bring Pakistan within one game of winning the tie. Do-or-die situation now for Mahesh Mangaonkar and India.

BASKETBALL

Quarter 3: INDIA 31 - 32 INDONESIA

Indonesia lead by a slight margin in the third quarter. India will have to work hard to ensure that they do not let this go any further. They cannot let Indonesia take the lead and then dominate them till the end of the game.

TENNIS

Set 1: Rutuja Bhosale/Rohan Bopanna 6-3 Shimizu Ayano/Hazawa Shinji

India win the first set! Rohan and Rutuja produce astute service games and a couple of crucial breaks to seal the set.

TENNIS

Set 2: Ankita Raina/Yuki Bhambri 6-4 Alex Eala/Alcantara Francis C(Set 1: 4-6)

The second set won by India! The match is headed to a final set showdown.

BASKETBALL

Start of Quarter 3: INDIA 29 - 26 INDONESIA

Indonesia bag the first point in the third quarter of this game. It will be an interesting one given how well India have managed to come back.

SQUASH

Men's Pool A: India vs Pakistan (1-1)
Mahesh Mangaonkar vs Nasir Iqbal (Game 1: 6-11)
(Match: 0-1)

Nasir Iqbal took that game by the scruff of its neck, and won it 11-6 in the end. There's the advantage that Pakistan would have wanted early in the match. Mangaonkar will need to rethink his strategy if he's to get back into this match.

TENNIS

Set 2: Ankita Raina/Yuki Bhambri 5-4 Alex Eala/Alcantara Francis C
(Set 1: 4-6)

The Indians produce much better quality and solid tennis to keep the set and match alive.

TENNIS

Set 1: Rutuja Bhosale/Rohan Bopanna 4-1 Shimizu Ayano/Hazawa Shinji

The Indians off to a flier with two break games won. They will look to close out the set as soon as possible.

SQUASH

Men's Pool A: India vs Pakistan (1-1)
Mahesh Mangaonkar vs Nasir Iqbal (Game 1: 2-5)
(Match: 0-0)

Mahesh Mangaonkar did well to start off by winning the first couple of points but Nasir Iqbal has come right back into it and picked up 5 points on the trot.

TENNIS

Welcome to the coverage of the mixed doubles third round match between India's Rutuja Bhosale/Rohan Bopanna and Japan's Shimizu Ayano/Hazawa Shinji

HANDBALL

Final Scores: India 26 - 26 Hong Kong.
Match Tied!

Both teams will leave this game with a sense of what-if as they both miss out on the opportunity to register their first win of Asian Games 2023. Both sides were evenly matched and a close contest was expected pre-match, but this was something else! Hong Kong took a 12-10 lead into half-time, but India drew level minutes into the second half and since then, the two teams kept trading goals, but with neither team pulling clear or having any sustained periods of dominance.

Hong Kong would've thought they had the game in the bag at the last minute, but Menika held her nerve to score the pressure penalty to tie the game! Overtime would've been something else, but since this is a group-stage game, the two teams have to settle for a tie.

Bhawana and Menika were the top scorers for India, with seven and eight goals respectively. Sushma and Nidhi Sharma also contributed effectively off the bench. Shil Nina had a quiet second half and was subbed off midway through it, but her 9 saves are a crucial reason India stayed in the game.

What's next for India? They'll face a tough challenge against World No. 25 China in their third group-stage match on Friday, September 29.

BASKETBALL

End of Quarter 2: INDIA 29 - 25 INDONESIA

India get back in the driver's seat! Indonesia have faltered at times and allowed the Indians to come back and take the lead in this game.

BASKETBALL

Quarter 2: INDIA 24 - 25 INDONESIA

India have managed to narrow the lead between themselves and their opponents. Their next target will be to increase it and surge further ahead in this game.

SQUASH

Men's Pool A: India vs Pakistan (1-1)
Saurav Ghosal vs Asim Khan (Game 3: 11-1)
(Match: 3-0)

That was fairly comfortable for Ghosal in the end. Dominated the game and the match from start to end. 11-3, 11-5, 11-1 in the end. Brings India right back into the tie. No superlatives are good enough to describe how good that Saurav Ghosal performance. What that does, of course, is that it makes the Mahesh Mangaonkar vs Nasir Iqbal the deciding fixture in this tie.

SQUASH

Men's Pool A: India vs Pakistan (0-1)
Saurav Ghosal vs Asim Khan (Game 2: 11-5)
(Match: 2-0)

Ghosal broke away after that last update. Looks like he's taken offence with my words on that occasion. I'm not complaining though. The 37-year-old is one game away from bringing India back into the tie.

HANDBALL

Full-Time!
India 26 - 26 Hong Kong

Have Hong Kong stolen it at the death? No! This is unbelievable! Wong Yee Ting scores her third goal in four minutes to give Hong Kong a 1-point lead that looks like it'll secure them the win! But with three seconds left on the clock, India gets a penalty that Menika calmly converts under pressure.

Since this is a group-stage match, there won't be any overtime! This nail-biter of a match ends in a tie!

BASKETBALL

INDIA 20 - 23 INDONESIA

Indonesia take the lead! This is not going according to plan for India at all. Their opponents have managed to upstage them at the beginning of the second quarter. India will have to find a way to come back into this game.

BASKETBALL

Start of Quarter 2: INDIA 20 - 20 INDONESIA

Indonesia are not going to let India go scot-free. The Indian girls have to find a way to not let their opponents take the lead and keep pushing forth from this position.

SQUASH

Men's Pool A: India vs Pakistan (0-1)
Saurav Ghosal vs Asim Khan (Game 2: 5-5)
(Match: 1-0)

Much more even contest in Game 2 of this Ghosal-Khan match. Scores reflecting the same as well.

TENNIS

Myneni Saketh/Ramanathan Ramkumar 6-1, 7-6 Wu Yibing and Zhang Zhizhen

The Indians have done it! They come through in a nerve wracking second set where they had to save a Match Point and endure multiple attempts at sealing their own, before Ramanathan slams a forehand across the court that Zhang can only volley long, leading to delirium among the Indian fans.

HANDBALL

2nd Half, 59'
India 25 - 25 Hong Kong

A minute left to play and it's still anyone's game! Hong Kong takes the lead in this crunch phase of the game, but India pegs back immediately through Nidhi Sharma. Which way will this one go?

BASKETBALL

INDIA 18 - 14 INDONESIA (End of Quarter 1)

India have managed to keep their hold over this game by leading Indonesia by a four-point margin. With just one three-pointer to their name, India will be keen on improving their showing a tad.

HANDBALL

2nd Half, 55'
India 23 - 22 Hong Kong

Menika and Nidhi Sharma score for India to give India the lead, but once again, Hong Kong equalizes. But no wait! India takes the lead once again through Menika! What a game this is! Neither side is letting up here. We're into the last five minutes here and one goal could end up making the difference. Who will blink first?!

SQUASH

Men's Pool A: India vs Pakistan (0-1)
Saurav Ghosal vs Asim Khan (Game 1: 11-3)
(Match: 1-0)

Good comeback from Ghosal after Abhay Singh lost the first match. He absolutely dominated Asim Khan in that first game to take the lead in the first game. He'll want to keep the momentum going and close out the match as soon as possible.

BASKETBALL

INDIA 15 - 11 INDONESIA

It seems like the Indian hoopsters have listened to all of our prayers! They have managed to get a slight but sizeable advantage over their opponents. This should give the Indians some momentum. Their percentage of field goals (19 %) hasn't helped their cause.

HANDBALL

2nd Half, 51'
India 20 - 20 Hong Kong

Absolutely nothing to separate these two sides. This time it's India that equalizes after Hong Kong takes a 19-18 lead.

BASKETBALL

INDIA 11 - 11 INDONESIA

How did this happen!? India have let Indonesia crawl back into this game and gain advantage after advantage. This will hurt them in the long run and needs to be rectified immediately.

HANDBALL

2nd Half, 45'
India 18 - 17 Hong Kong

They can! Priyanka scores to put India a goal up, with Nidhi Sharma helping India retake the lead after Wong Yee Ting equalizes for Hong Kong. We're into the last quarter of this match, and this one is sure to go down to the wire!

BASKETBALL

INDIA 9 - 3 INDONESIA

Although Indonesia have pulled things back a tad, India continue to be in the lead. This is looking extremely good for the Indians after their disappointing showing in the 3x3 basketball event a while ago against China.

BASKETBALL

INDIA 2 - 0 INDONESIA

India have got off to a good start in their women's basketball game against Indonesia. They will be keen on keeping this momentum going in order to set up a big win.

TENNIS

Set 1: Ankita Raina/Yuki Bhambri 4-6 Alex Eala/Alcantara Francis C

The Filipino pair seal the set with a strong service game. The Indians took it close but their lost service game came back to haunt them

BOXING

Women's 50 kg Round of 16
Nikhat Zareen vs Chorong Bak: Round 3

Smart boxing from Nikhat in that final round. Choosing to sway and not give Chorong Bak too many openings to work with. As a result, Nikhat Zareen defeats Chorong Bak 5:0 on points. Unanimous as they come. This leaves her one win away from a guaranteed medal. Potentially her first at the Asian Games.

HANDBALL

2nd Half, 40'
India 16 - 16 Hong Kong

The scores were level for about 45 seconds before Hong Kong retakes the lead through a Cheung Mei Ngo penalty. They then go up 15-13, but India looking spirited and up for the fight as they draw level once more with 20 minutes to play! Menika and Bhawana have been in good form, scoring five goals apiece. Can they build on this and take the lead now?

SQUASH

Men's Pool A: India vs Pakistan (0-1)
Abhay Singh vs Noor Zaman (Game 2: 8-11)
(Match: 1-3)

Noor Zaman holds his nerve and takes the final game 11-8 yet again to win the match 3 sets to 1. That leaves the Indians in a must-win situation for the remainder of this tie. Up next, Saurav Ghosal will take on Muhammad Asim Khan.

BOXING

Women's 50 kg Round of 16
Nikhat Zareen vs Chorong Bak: Round 2

Nikhat was aggressive as ever in that second round. Went right after Bak at the start of the final minute and got a brilliant combination of punches in. Another impressive round for the Indian. The judges have all ruled in her favour as well.

TENNIS

Set 2: Myneni Saketh/Ramanathan Ramkumar 3-4 Wu Yibing and Zhang Zhizhen(Set 1: 6-1)

The match is proceeding in a neck-and-neck fashion with both teams holding their service games. Zhang smashes an overhead forehand down the line, leaving the Indians to serve in order to equalise.

HANDBALL

2nd Half, 35'
India 13 - 13 Hong Kong

This match has the makings of a real nail-biter, with neither team affording an inch to their opponent. Wu Lei Ling scores to extend Hong Kong's lead early in the second half, but India level the scores with some stellar attacking play. Menika and Bhawana score to make it 12-13 before the Indian captain Jyoti Shukla makes a steal and scores on the break!