PV Sindhu and Unnati Hooda Shine in Asian Games Badminton Quarterfinals

At the Asian Games, PV Sindhu and Unnati Hooda delivered stellar performances, advancing to the women’s singles quarterfinals. Sindhu dominated her match against Tomoka Miyazaki, while Hooda stunned world No. 6 Putri Kusuma Wardani. The women’s doubles team of Treesa Jolly and Gayatri Gopichand also progressed, defeating a top-ranked Japanese pair. However, Lakshya Sen and Ayush Shetty faced early exits, marking a challenging day for Indian badminton. Read on to discover more about these thrilling matches and the players' journeys.

By Narendra Chaudhary Sep 27, 2026, 00:01 IST

Sindhu and Hooda Advance to Quarterfinals

In an exciting day at the Asian Games, veteran player PV Sindhu and rising star Unnati Hooda showcased impressive performances, securing their spots in the women’s singles quarterfinals. However, Lakshya Sen and Ayush Shetty faced early exits from the tournament.

Sindhu delivered a commanding performance in her third-round match, defeating Tomoka Miyazaki with scores of 21-9 and 21-13, thus advancing to the quarterfinals.

Unnati Hooda, a three-time BWF Super 100 champion, triumphed over Malaysia’s Ling Ching Wong with a close score of 21-14, 20-22, 21-19, moving on to the next round. The 19-year-old from Haryana then stunned world No. 6 Putri Kusuma Wardani, winning 21-19, 21-13, and setting up a quarterfinal match against Japan’s Akane Yamaguchi.

Doubles Success for Jolly and Gopichand

The women’s doubles team of Treesa Jolly and Gayatri Gopichand, who recently earned a bronze medal at the World Championships, continued their winning streak by defeating the world No. 3 pair of Mayu Matsumoto and Yuki Fukushima from Japan with scores of 24-22 and 21-18, advancing to the quarterfinals.

This victory follows their earlier win against the same opponents in the women’s team quarterfinals just days prior. They are set to face Malaysia’s Tan Pearly and Thinaah Muralitharan next.

Mixed Fortunes for Indian Players

Sindhu, a two-time Olympic medalist, also overcame Chinese Taipei’s world No. 17 Chiu Pin-chian in the second round, winning 21-19, 21-14. Meanwhile, Ayush Shetty, who reached the finals at the Badminton Asia Championships, initially defeated Kazakhstan’s Makhsut Tajibullayev 21-7, 21-7, but was eliminated in the pre-quarterfinals by Chinese Taipei’s Chou Tien Chen, losing 16-21, 21-19, 17-21.

Earlier, Lakshya Sen faced a tough match against former world champion Loh Kean Yew from Singapore, ultimately losing 12-21, 21-15, 14-21 in a contest that lasted over an hour. This defeat follows the unexpected exit of the former world No. 1 men’s doubles pair, Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty, further impacting India’s badminton campaign.

Unnati's Match Against Putri

In her match against Putri, world No. 24 Unnati quickly established a 10-6 lead and maintained a slight edge at the break. Although Putri managed to equalize at 15-15 and briefly took a 17-15 lead, Unnati rallied back to secure three game points, converting the third after missing two.

In the second game, Unnati started strong at 6-2, but Putri fought back to tie at 8-8. Unnati regained control, leading 12-9, and ultimately closed out the match against her higher-ranked opponent.

Sindhu's Performance Against Chui

Sindhu initially struggled to find her rhythm against Chui, who led 11-10 at the break. However, Sindhu gradually took charge, moving ahead to 19-16. After a few tense moments, she secured three game points, converting the final one with a well-placed shot.

In the second game, Sindhu displayed greater dominance, establishing an early lead of 8-4 and maintaining it to win the match decisively.