The Chinese national badminton team secured only two gold medals at the 20th Asian Games, experiencing a striking downturn in overall performance across the tournament’s final matches. Official tournament records from the event held in September show that China struggled significantly in multiple categories, marking just the third time since their debut at the 1974 Asian Games that the delegation captured fewer than three badminton gold medals.
Mixed Doubles Success Amid Broader Struggles
Opening the final slate of matches on Sept. 29, Jiang Zhen Bang and Wei Ya Xin provided a bright spot for the delegation by capturing the mixed doubles title. The third-ranked pair in the world defeated Indonesia’s Amri Syahnawi and Nita Vioina Marwah in straight sets, winning 21-19, 21-8. Despite that early victory, the result foreshadowed a difficult day for the rest of the squad as tournament play progressed through the remaining finals.
Defeats in Women’s and Men’s Doubles Finals
In the women’s doubles final, top-ranked Liu Sheng Shu and Tan Ning faced South Korea’s Baek Ha Na and Lee So Hee, who entered ranked second in the world. The Chinese pair claimed a tightly contested opening set 28-26, but the South Korean duo rallied behind tenacious play from 32-year-old Lee So Hee and her partner. Baek and Lee secured the next two sets by identical 21-18 scores, handing the world number-one pair a comeback defeat and forcing them to settle for the silver medal.
A parallel outcome unfolded in the men’s doubles tournament. Liang Weikeng and Wang Chang, ranked third globally, squared off against Indonesia’s Leo Rolly Carnando and Daniel Marthin, who entered at 43rd in the world rankings. The Indonesian duo dropped the first set 21-19 before bouncing back to take the second 21-13. In a tense deciding game, Carnando and Marthin edged ahead in the closing exchanges to claim a 21-18 victory, completing another comeback win over a higher-ranked Chinese pair.
Historical Context and Prior Rare Deficits
Beyond the individual and doubles events, the Chinese team experienced setbacks in the team competitions. While the women’s squad captured gold earlier in the event, the men’s team suffered a comeback defeat against Indonesia during the team bracket. Historical records indicate that prior to this year’s results, China had won fewer than three badminton gold medals at the Asian Games on only two previous occasions: in 1994 and 2002.
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