Lakshya Sen Exits Asian Games 2026 After Narrow Loss to Loh Kean Yew

Indian badminton player Lakshya Sen faced a disappointing exit from the Asian Games 2026 after losing to Singapore's Loh Kean Yew in the first round. Despite a strong start, Sen couldn't maintain his momentum, leading to a 21-14 defeat in the final game. This loss follows a challenging day for Indian badminton, with hopes now resting on PV Sindhu. Meanwhile, Sawan Barwal made history by winning a silver medal in the men's marathon. Read on for more updates from the Asian Games.

By Narendra Chaudhary Sep 26, 2026, 08:14 IST

Lakshya Sen's Journey at the Asian Games

In Aichi-Nagoya, Japan, on September 26, Indian badminton player Lakshya Sen faced an early exit from the men's singles event at the Asian Games 2026, losing to Singapore's Loh Kean Yew in a challenging first-round match.

Sen started the match with great energy, quickly establishing a 5-1 lead in the first game. However, Loh mounted a strong comeback, scoring ten consecutive points to take control. He entered the break with an 11-5 lead and ultimately won the first game 21-12.

In the second game, Sen improved significantly, finding his rhythm after a shaky start. The two players exchanged points in a tightly contested match, but Sen's aggressive play towards the end allowed him to secure a 21-15 victory, forcing a decisive third game.

During the final game, Loh again took an early lead at 8-3. Although Sen narrowed the gap to 13-14, Loh regained his composure and extended his lead to 18-14 before clinching the match with a score of 21-14.

This defeat marked the end of Sen's singles campaign at the Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games.

Sen's exit followed a disappointing performance from India's men's doubles team, Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty, who also faced an early elimination. The hopes for Indian badminton now rest on other competitors, including two-time Olympic medallist PV Sindhu, who is set to begin her women's singles journey.

In other news, Indian athlete Sawan Barwal made headlines by winning a silver medal in the men's marathon, achieving a national record time of 2:11:37.

In athletics, Tejaswin Shankar and Thowfeeq Noushad finished fifth and seventh, respectively, in the men's decathlon 100m event, scoring 865 and 856 points.

In canoe sprint, Harshwardhan Shaktawat secured fifth place in the men's kayak single 500m semifinal, advancing to Final B. Additionally, Parvathy Geetha and Prasanna Kumar finished second in the mixed kayak double 500m semifinal, qualifying for Final A.

In fencing, India triumphed over Indonesia with a score of 45-24 in the women's foil team round of 16, moving on to the quarter-finals.