India Triumphs Over Thailand in Women's Table Tennis at Asian Games 2026

In an exhilarating match at the Asian Games 2026, India's women's table tennis team overcame Thailand with a score of 3-2, thanks to Sreeja Akula's decisive victory. The match featured intense competition, with India initially trailing but ultimately rallying to secure their spot in the quarterfinals against North Korea. Alongside table tennis, India showcased mixed results in other sports, including boxing and kabaddi. This article delves into the highlights of India's performance across various events at the Games, promising an exciting read for sports enthusiasts.

By Narendra Chaudhary Sep 22, 2026, 10:47 IST

Exciting Comeback in Table Tennis

In a thrilling encounter at the Asian Games 2026, India staged a remarkable comeback to defeat Thailand 3-2 in the women's team table tennis Round of 16 on Tuesday, with Sreeja Akula clinching the victory in the final match.

The match began on a challenging note for India as Orawan Paranang rallied from two games down to secure a win against Sreeja, with scores of 7-11, 1-11, 11-9, 11-6, and 12-10, giving Thailand an early 1-0 advantage.

Yashaswini Ghorpade then brought India back into contention with a hard-fought 3-2 victory over Suthasini Sawettabut. After winning the first game 11-8, she faced setbacks in the next two games, losing 5-11 and 7-11, but she fought back to win the fourth and fifth games 11-9, 11-9.

Thailand regained the lead when Diya Chitale lost a closely contested five-game match against Jinnapan Sawettabut. Chitale had a match point at 10-9 in the final game, but her opponent held her composure to win 13-11, with the match concluding at 7-11, 11-5, 11-7, 7-11, and 11-13.

With India trailing 1-2, Yashaswini delivered an impressive performance against Paranang, winning decisively with scores of 11-5, 11-8, and 11-9 in just 21 minutes, leveling the match at 2-2 and setting the stage for a decisive match.

In the final match, Sreeja faced Suthasini under pressure. After losing the first game 9-11, she bounced back to win the next two games 11-6 and 12-10, taking a 2-1 lead. Despite being down 6-8 in the fourth game, Sreeja rallied to win five consecutive points, ultimately winning the match 11-9, 11-6, 12-10, and 11-8, securing India's place in the quarterfinals.

India is set to face North Korea in the women's team quarterfinal.

India's Performance in Other Events

India's performance at the Asian Games has been mixed. In boxing, Sakshi Chaudhary triumphed over Aira Villegas from the Philippines in the women's 51kg Round of 32, while the men's kabaddi team achieved a significant victory against South Korea, winning 63-31 in Group A.

Shooting and Soft Tennis

In shooting, Elavenil Valarivan and Parth Mane secured second place in the 10m Air Rifle Mixed Team qualification but finished fourth in the final. In soft tennis, Jay Meena won against Pakistan's Hussain Arain 4-0 in men's singles Group D, while Aadhya Tiwari faced a loss to Thailand's Alisha Ziegler, ending 1-4.

Wushu and Fencing

In Wushu, Langlentombi Devi Hanjabam finished ninth in the women's Nanquan final, while Sachin and Hemash Singh placed fourth in their respective pools in men's individual foil.

Swimming

In swimming events, Aryan Nehra finished fourth in the men's 1500m freestyle final B, and the 4x100m medley relay team, consisting of Rishabh Das, Akash Mani, Benediction Beniston, and Dhanush Suresh, secured seventh place overall in the heats, qualifying for the final.

Karate and Sepaktakraw

In karate, Chetan Bhatt lost in the men's 84kg kumite bronze medal match, while Alisha Choudhary was defeated 1-6 by Indonesia's Cok Istri Agung Sanistyarani in the women's -55kg Round of 16. Additionally, India lost 0-3 to Malaysia in men's Team Regu in sepaktakraw.

Equestrian

In equestrian dressage, Ashish Limaye finished in 13th place, Arjan Nagra in 23rd, and Fouaad Mirza in 26th.