Indian Badminton Players Shine at Kumamoto Masters 2026

At the Kumamoto Masters Japan 2026, Indian badminton players Treesa Jolly and Gayatri Gopichand have advanced to the women's doubles pre-quarterfinals after a strong performance against a higher-ranked Japanese duo. The match saw the Indian pair overcoming an early deficit to secure victory. Additionally, Hariharan Amsakarunan and MR Arjun progressed in men's doubles, while other Indian players faced mixed results. The tournament continues to showcase the talent of Indian badminton athletes.

By Narendra Chaudhary Nov 10, 2026, 14:46 IST

Indian Duo Progresses in Women's Doubles

Treesa Jolly and Gayatri Gopichand from India have successfully moved on to the pre-quarterfinals in women's doubles at the Kumamoto Masters Japan 2026. They achieved this by defeating the higher-ranked Japanese team of Hinata Suzuki and Nao Yamakita in straight sets on Tuesday. The Indian pair, currently ranked 20th in the world, secured a 21-17, 21-14 victory over their 13th-ranked rivals in just 42 minutes during the opening round of the BWF Super 500 tournament held at the Kumamoto Prefectural Gymnasium. This match marked the first encounter between the two teams. Suzuki and Yamakita, who recently triumphed at the Canada Open, were runners-up at the Denmark Open last month. In contrast, Treesa and Gayatri were making a comeback after their early exit at the French Open last month.

Match Overview

The Indian duo initially fell behind 4-8 in the first game but quickly turned the match around by scoring seven consecutive points, leading 11-8 at the interval. Despite a brief comeback from the Japanese pair, who narrowed the gap to 13-12, Treesa and Gayatri regained control and clinched the first game 21-17. The second game showcased their dominance, as they secured a 21-14 victory, advancing them to the next round. In the round of 16, they are set to face the third-seeded Japanese pair, Rin Iwanaga and Kie Nakanishi, who are currently ranked fifth in the world. The two pairs have faced each other twice before, with each winning one match. Treesa and Gayatri won their latest encounter 21-16, 21-12 during the round of 16 at the BWF World Championships in New Delhi earlier this year.

Other Highlights from Indian Players

In men's doubles, the Indian team of Hariharan Amsakarunan and MR Arjun also advanced to the pre-quarterfinals after their opponents, Malaysia's Aaron Chia and Soh Wooi Yik, retired due to injury during their match. The Indian duo, ranked 29th in the world, was leading 11-6 when the match concluded prematurely. They will next face the winners of the first-round match between Japan's Takuro Hoki-Yugo Kobayashi and Hong Kong's Hung Kuei Chun-Lui Chun Wai.

Earlier, Dhruv Kapila and Radhika Sharma were eliminated from the mixed doubles qualifiers after losing 21-16, 21-15 to the American pair of Chen Zhi Yi and Francesca Corbett. India's Lakshya Sen is set to begin his campaign on Wednesday. Additionally, men's doubles team Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty, along with women's singles player Malvika Bansod, have withdrawn from the tournament despite being initially listed to compete.