Jakarta: India is assured of three medals in the Asian Games with Saurav Ghosal, Joshna Chinappa and Dipika Pallikal Karthik moving into the semi-final of the respective singles events.
This betters the previous best in the singles phase in the Asian Games of two medals achieved in Incheon, when Saurav won a silver and Dipika a bronze.
As expected in terms of seeding, top seed Saurav put out his country-mate but a fighting opponent Harinder Pal Sandhu in four games 9-11, 11-7, 11-7, 11-7 in the men’s singles quarter-finals.
A little later came Dipika, with a fluent win over Japanese Kobayashi Misaki in straight games 11-5, 11-6, 11-8.
Joshna’s was the last scheduled among the Indians and she had a fight in hand against Hong Kong’s Chan Ho Ling, seeded 5/8. Joshna won 11-5,12-10, 5-11, 12-10 and she is assured of her first medal in the Asian Games in singles event.