Hangzhou: The Indian men's team exhibited exceptional skill and unwavering determination to defeat China 2-1 and advance to the finals of the bridge competition at the Asian Games in China's Hangzhou.

This ensures India of at least a silver medal. The Indian men's team, consisting of Jaggy Shivdasani, Sandeep Thakral, Sumit Mukherjee, Rajeshwar Tiwari, Raju Tolani, and Ajay Khare, is set to compete against Hong Kong for the gold medal on Friday.

In the 2018 Jakarta Games, India secured a bronze medal.

Following an intense 96-board match spanning two gruelling days and 15 hours of play, India accumulated a total of 155.60 points, while the host nation settled for 135 points.

In the other semifinal, Hong Kong secured 153 points, surpassing Japan's 118 points.

Initially, India faced a subpar performance, conceding the first session to China with a score of 16-36.

However, the Indian players made a remarkable comeback in the second session at noon, outplaying China with a score of 37-24.

In the crucial third and final session in the evening, the Indian team elevated their performance to outscore China 35-25, securing their spot in the summit clash.

The dynamic pair of Rajeshwar, an accomplished IIT alum holding a leadership position at HCL Technologies, and Sumit, who hails from Indian Railways, displayed flawless execution. Similarly, Jaggy and his partner Sandeep delivered an outstanding game, contributing to the victory.

Despite receiving the devastating news of his mother's passing on September 30th, Ajay Khare, a member of the Indian Bridge Team, exhibited remarkable mental fortitude by choosing to stay and compete.