PV Sindhu and Abhay Singh Shine at Asian Games 2026
PV Sindhu Advances in Badminton
Indian badminton sensation PV Sindhu has successfully moved into the women's singles round of 16 at the Asian Games 2026. She achieved this by defeating Chiu Pin-chian from Chinese Taipei in a straight-sets victory on Saturday. Sindhu secured the match with scores of 21-19 and 21-14, showcasing her skill and determination. The first game was tightly contested, with Chiu putting up a strong fight, but Sindhu maintained her composure to clinch it 21-19. In the second game, she elevated her performance, dominating the rallies to finish it 21-14. Next, Sindhu faces a formidable opponent, Japan's world No. 7 Tomoka Miyazaki, later today.
Abhay Singh Reaches Squash Final
In another highlight, Indian squash player Abhay Singh secured his spot in the men's singles final after a convincing win against Muhammad Irfan from Pakistan. Abhay displayed exceptional skill, winning the semifinal with scores of 11-3, 12-10, and 11-6. He controlled the first game and faced a tougher challenge in the second, where he held his nerve to win 12-10. He comfortably finished the third game, completing a 3-0 victory. Abhay, currently ranked 26th globally, will compete against the winner of the semifinal match between Noor Zaman from Pakistan and Malaysia's Eain Yow Ng.
India's Medal Success at the Games
India had a remarkable day at the Asian Games 2026, highlighted by the women's kabaddi team winning the gold medal after a thrilling 37-34 victory over Iran in the final. In squash, both Anahat Singh and Abhay Singh advanced to their respective singles finals. Anahat achieved a stunning comeback against Japan's Satomi Watanabe, winning 3-2 in the women's semifinal, while Abhay's earlier victory set the stage for his final match. Additionally, Joshna Chinappa and Velavan Senthilkumar earned a bronze medal in mixed doubles after a semifinal loss. In athletics, Sawan Barwal claimed silver in the men's marathon, setting a national record with a time of 2:11:37. Tejaswin Shankar and Thowfeeq Noushad continued their decathlon events, with Tejaswin leading in long jump and ranking third overall after shot put. Animesh Kujur also advanced to the men's 200m semifinal. Indian shooters contributed to the medal tally with Ashi Chouksey, Tilottama Sen, and Vidarsa Vinod winning silver in the women's 50m rifle 3P team event, while Tilottama and Vidarsa finished fourth and fifth in the individual finals.
Updates from Other Sports
In badminton, PV Sindhu, Ayush Shetty, and Unnati Hooda progressed in their singles events, while Lakshya Sen was eliminated after a loss to Singapore's Loh Kean Yew. Boxer Kapil Pokhariya advanced to the men's 90kg quarterfinals by defeating Iran's Sam Estaki, while Jadumani Singh was eliminated by Carlo Paalam from the Philippines. Indian archers also performed well, with Chikitha Taniparthi, Jyothi Surekha Vennam, and Prithika Pradeep finishing second in women's recurve team qualification, while Dhiraj Bommadevara, Neeraj Chauhan, and Yashdeep Bhoge secured third in men's recurve team qualification. In fencing, India reached the quarterfinals in women's foil and men's sabre team events but faced defeats against Japan and South Korea, respectively. In canoe sprint, Parvathy Geetha and Prasanna Kumar advanced to Final A, while Harshwardhan Shaktawat moved to Final B. Other results included losses for Yashaswini Ghorpade and Manush Shah in table tennis, and dressage riders Hriday Vipul Chheda, Jai Sud, and Shruti Vora finishing outside the top positions after the second qualification round. Surfing events featuring Indian athletes were postponed due to unfavorable conditions.