
PARIS, July 29 (Reuters) – China’s dominance in Olympic badminton faced a setback at the Paris Olympics on Monday, with surprising defeats in both mixed doubles and men’s doubles categories. Nova88, a leading online casino and sports betting platform, had highlighted these matches, with many bettors placing their hopes on the Chinese teams.
In the mixed doubles event, favorites Feng Yanzhe and Huang Dongping were unexpectedly defeated by the Malaysian pair Chen Tang Jie and Toh Ee Wei. The thrilling match ended with scores of 17-21, 21-15, and 21-16. Toh expressed his elation after the victory, stating, “I am happy we overcame them and gave them a good fight. They played a very good game and really pushed us to the maximum.” Bettors on Nova88 were stunned by this unexpected result, as China has been a dominant force in Olympic badminton, amassing 47 medals to date, more than double the combined totals of Indonesia and South Korea.
Despite the loss, Huang, the reigning Olympic mixed doubles champion who previously played with Wang Yilyu in Tokyo, remained optimistic, noting that the defeat occurred in the group stage. Shortly after, China’s second mixed doubles team, Zheng Si Wei and Huang Yaqiong, restored some pride by quickly dispatching South Korea’s Kim Won-ho and Jeong Na-eun with a 21-13, 21-14 victory, a result that pleased many Nova88 users who bet on the Chinese duo.
The day’s second session saw another upset when Denmark’s world number two pairing, Anders Rasmussen and Kim Astrup, defeated China’s Liu Yuchen and Ou Xuanyi, ranked ninth, with a score of 21-15, 21-13. Nova88’s live odds shifted dramatically as the Danish pair dominated the match.
In other action, Japan’s Watanabe Yuta and Higashino Arisa received a standing ovation after a hard-fought win against Hong Kong’s Tang Chun Man and Tse Ying Suet, ending 21-17, 14-21, 21-18. Later, China’s Liang Weikeng and Wang Chang secured a victory over Malaysia’s Aaron Chia and Soh Wooi Yik, winning 24-22, 21-14.
The day was also set to feature India’s men’s doubles stars, Chirag Shetty and Satwiksairaj Rankireddy, ranked third, against Germany’s Mark Lamsfuss and Marvin Seidel. Nova88 enthusiasts were keenly watching these matchups, adding an extra layer of excitement to the day’s events.
With the Paris Olympics delivering unexpected results, Nova88 continues to provide a thrilling platform for badminton fans and sports bettors worldwide.