India Secures Medal in Men's Team Badminton at Asian Games 2026

India Assures Medal in Men's Team Badminton

India has guaranteed a medal in the men's team badminton competition at the Asian Games 2026 after a decisive 3-0 victory over the host nation, Japan, in the quarterfinals on Tuesday. Key players Lakshya Sen, Satwiksairaj Rankireddy-Chirag Shetty, and Ayush Shetty each secured wins in their matches.

Lakshya Sen initiated the match with a comeback victory against Japan's Kodai Naraoka. After losing the first game 11-21, Sen rallied back to dominate the second game 21-5, forcing a final game. Despite trailing 8-14 in the decider, he leveled the score at 19-19 and clinched the match 21-19, giving India a 1-0 lead.

The doubles team of Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty followed suit, overcoming Japan's Hoki/Kobayashi with scores of 21-18 and 24-22. They fought through a tight first game and sealed the second game after a nail-biting finish, extending India's lead to 2-0.

To secure the tie, Ayush Shetty delivered a strong performance against his Japanese opponent. He quickly established a 7-2 lead and maintained control, winning the first game 21-10. He continued his momentum in the second game, finishing with a score of 21-19, thus completing India's 3-0 triumph.

This victory guarantees India a medal in the men's team badminton event as they advance to the semifinals at the Asian Games.

Cricket Gold, Mixed Fortunes in Other Events

In other news, India celebrated its first gold medal at the Asian Games 2026, with the women's cricket team triumphing over Sri Lanka by 147 runs in the final. Additionally, boxers Sakshi Chaudhary and Jadumani Singh progressed in their respective matches.

However, the women's badminton team faced disappointment, losing 3-1 to Japan in the quarterfinals. The women's table tennis team managed to defeat Thailand 3-2 in the Round of 16, while the men's team suffered a 0-3 loss against South Korea.

In shooting, Elavenil Valarivan and Parth Mane finished fourth in the 10m Air Rifle Mixed Team final. Anantjeet Singh Naruka secured second place in men's skeet qualification after Day 2, while Raiza Dhillon placed fifth in the women's event.

India also achieved a significant 63-31 victory over South Korea in men's kabaddi, although the men's sepaktakraw team lost 3-0 to Malaysia.

In swimming, the men's 4x100m medley relay team qualified for the finals, while Aryan Nehra finished fourth in the 1500m freestyle final B.

Taniksha Khatri was eliminated in the fencing epee quarterfinals, and Mitva Chaudhari, Hemash Singh Sanasam, and Sachin also exited in their respective matches.

In soft tennis, Aryan Thakur recorded one win and one loss, while Aadhya Tiwari and Jay Meena both secured victories in their singles matches.

In karate, Alisha Choudhary was eliminated in the women's -55kg Round of 16, and India's eFootball team drew 0-0 with Uzbekistan.

In equestrian dressage, Ashish Limaye finished 13th, Arjan Nagra 23rd, and Fouaad Mirza 26th, while Wushu athlete Langlentombi Devi Hanjabam placed ninth.