Indian Athletes Shine at Asian Games with Major Victories

Indian athletes showcased exceptional talent at the Asian Games, with Treesa Jolly and Gayatri Gopichand defeating Japan's top-ranked pair in badminton. Unnati Hooda also made headlines by overcoming a world No. 6 opponent. In squash, Abhay Singh and Anahat Singh advanced to their respective finals. The Indian women's kabaddi team defended their title, contributing to a growing medal tally that now stands at 27. Read on to learn more about these remarkable achievements.

By Narendra Chaudhary Sep 26, 2026, 16:23 IST

Badminton: Indian Duo Upsets World No. 3

In a remarkable display of skill, Treesa Jolly and Gayatri Gopichand triumphed over Japan's world No. 3 pair, Mayu Matsumoto and Yuki Fukushima, with scores of 24-22, 21-18, advancing to the women's doubles quarterfinals at the Asian Games. This victory follows their earlier win against the same opponents in the team event.

The match was fiercely contested, with the Indian pair initially edging the first game. Despite trailing 8-11 in the second game, they rallied to equalize at 15-15. After a tense exchange, Treesa and Gayatri surged ahead to clinch the match point, securing their spot in the quarterfinals against Malaysia's world No. 5 duo, Pearly Tan and Thinaah Muralitharan.

Unnati Hooda's Stunning Singles Victory

Teenage sensation Unnati Hooda also made headlines by defeating Indonesia's world No. 6, Putri Kusuma Wardani, with a score of 21-19, 21-13, to reach the women's singles quarterfinals. She is set to face Japan's Akane Yamaguchi, the world No. 3, in her next match.

Squash: Abhay Singh and Anahat Singh Advance to Finals

In squash, Abhay Singh secured his place in the men's singles final after a decisive victory over Pakistan's Muhammad Irfan, winning 11-3, 12-10, 11-6. He will compete against either Noor Zaman from Pakistan or Malaysia's Eain Yow Ng in the championship match.

Anahat Singh also reached the women's singles final, overcoming Japan's Satomi Watanabe in a thrilling 3-2 semifinal match.

Mixed Doubles and Overall Medal Count

In mixed doubles, the pair of Joshna Chinappa and Velavan Senthilkumar earned a bronze medal after their semifinal loss to Hong Kong's Tang Ming Hong and Lee Ka Yi.

Earlier, the Indian women's kabaddi team successfully defended their title by defeating Iran 37-34 in the final, adding another gold to India's medal tally. Sawan Barwal achieved silver in the men's marathon with a national record time of 2:11:37, while Ashi Chouksey, Tilottama Sen, and Vidarsa Vinod secured silver in the women's 50m rifle 3 positions team event.

As of now, India has amassed a total of 27 medals, including three gold, 11 silver, and 13 bronze, placing them 12th in the overall standings.