India's Women's Table Tennis Team Exits Asian Games 2026 After Quarterfinal Loss

India's Journey Ends in Quarterfinals

In Aichi-Nagoya, Japan, on September 22, India's women's table tennis squad faced elimination from the Asian Games 2026 following a 0-3 defeat to North Korea in the quarterfinals.

Sreeja Akula was the first to represent India, going up against Kim Kum Yong in the initial match. Kim secured the first game with a score of 11-7 and continued her dominance by winning the next two games 11-6 and 11-5, putting North Korea ahead 1-0.

Next, Yashaswini Ghorpade aimed to equalize the score against Pyon Song Gyong. Yashaswini, who had made a significant impact throughout the tournament after stepping in for Manika Batra, found it challenging against her North Korean opponent.

Pyon took the first two games convincingly, winning 11-4 and 11-3, putting North Korea just one match away from victory. Although Yashaswini showed resilience in the third game, Pyon ultimately clinched the match with an 11-6 win in the fourth game, extending North Korea's lead to 2-0.

With India needing a win to keep their hopes alive, Diya Chitale faced Cha Su Yong in the final match. Diya put up a strong fight, but Cha won the first game 11-9. The North Korean player then took the second game 11-7 and sealed the match with an 11-8 victory in the third game.

This 3-0 victory propelled North Korea into the semifinals of the women's team event, while India's campaign came to an unfortunate end.

Earlier that day, India had staged a comeback to defeat Thailand 3-2 in a thrilling Round of 16 match, with Sreeja Akula securing the win in the decisive match.

It is worth noting that India's men's team also faced a 0-3 defeat against South Korea in their quarterfinal, marking the conclusion of India's team events in table tennis at the Asian Games 2026.