Aryan Thakur Shines in Soft Tennis at Asian Games 2026, Alisha Choudhary Exits Early
Aryan Thakur's Strong Start in Soft Tennis
In Aichi-Nagoya, Japan, Aryan Thakur kicked off his men's singles soft tennis journey at the Asian Games 2026 with an impressive 4-0 victory against Mongolia's Bold-erdene Altangerel. Thakur showcased his skills in Group C, winning the match with scores of 4-1, 4-1, 4-0, and 4-1. His next challenge will be against Chen Po-yi from Chinese Taipei, scheduled for noon on Tuesday, as reported by ESPN.
Alisha Choudhary's Early Exit in Karate
In contrast, Alisha Choudhary, the Asian Championship titleholder, faced an unfortunate early exit in the women's karate competition. She lost 1-6 to Indonesia's Cok Istri Agung Sanistyarani in the round of 16 for the kumite - 55kg category. The Indonesian competitor quickly gained a lead with five points, including a Yuko and an Ippon, while Choudhary received warnings that contributed to her opponent's Senshu point. Although Choudhary managed to score a Yuko in the final moments, it wasn't enough to change the outcome.
India's Progress in Other Sports
On Day 3 of the Games, India's women's table tennis team triumphed over Thailand with a close 3-2 victory in the round of 16, advancing further in the tournament. In boxing, Sakshi Chaudhary secured her place in the women's 51kg round of 16 with a unanimous 5-0 win against Aira Villegas from the Philippines, a bronze medallist from the Paris Olympics. Chaudhary, a Commonwealth Games gold medallist, is set to compete against Kazakhstan's Alua Balkibekova on Thursday.
Additionally, the men's kabaddi team achieved a significant 63-31 victory over South Korea in their Group A match. In shooting, Elavenil Valarivan and Parth Mane finished fourth in the 10m air rifle mixed team final after qualifying second and reaching the gold medal match.
In swimming, the Indian men's 4x100m medley relay team, consisting of Rishabh Das, Akash Mani, Benediction Beniston, and Dhanush Suresh, secured a seventh-place finish in the heats, qualifying for the final.
Other Notable Performances
In soft tennis, Jay Meena defeated Pakistan's Hussain Arain 4-0 in the men's singles Group D match, while Aadhya Tiwari faced a 1-4 loss against Thailand's Alisha Ziegler in the women's singles Group D. In wushu, Langlentombi Devi Hanjabam finished ninth in the women's Nanquan final. Fencers Sachin and Hemash Singh placed fourth in their respective pools in the men's individual foil event.
Aryan Nehra finished fourth in the men's 1500m freestyle final B, while Chetan Bhatt lost his bronze medal match in the men's 84kg kumite. India also faced a 0-3 defeat against Malaysia in the men's team Regu Group B sepaktakraw competition. In equestrian dressage, Ashish Limaye and Willy Be Dun ranked 13th, Arjan Nagra and Cooley Goodwood were 23rd, and Fouaad Mirza and Camouflage 38 finished 26th.
On Day 2, India celebrated three medals, with Himanshu Dhillon, Rudrankksh Patil, and Parth Mane earning silver in the men's 10m air rifle team event. Dhillon and Patil later added individual medals, while MMA fighter Suchika Tariyal also secured a bronze.