Unnati Hooda Advances to Pre-Quarterfinals at Asian Games 2026
Unnati Hooda Moves Forward in Women's Singles
Indian badminton player Unnati Hooda has successfully reached the pre-quarterfinals of the women's singles event at the Asian Games 2026. She achieved this by overcoming Malaysia's Wong Ling Ching in a gripping three-game match on Saturday.
Hooda secured a 2-1 victory with scores of 21-14, 20-22, and 21-19, ensuring her progression to the next round where she will compete against Indonesia's Putri Kusuma Wardani. Ranked 25th globally, Unnati started the match strongly, winning the first game 21-14. However, Wong, who holds the 38th position in the world rankings, made a comeback in the second game, narrowly winning 22-20 to force a decisive third game.
The final game was tightly contested, with both players exchanging points. Unnati managed to earn two match points at 20-18. Although Wong saved one, she ultimately sent a cross-court shot wide, allowing Unnati to clinch the match with a score of 21-19. Unnati is now set to face Putri Kusuma Wardani in the pre-quarterfinals.
India's Performance and Medal Achievements
On the same day, India celebrated a successful medal haul at the Asian Games 2026. Sawan Barwal earned a silver medal in the men's marathon, setting a national record with a time of 2:11:37. In shooting, the trio of Ashi Chouksey, Tilottama Sen, and Vidarsa Vinod secured a silver medal in the women's 50m rifle 3P event, with Tilottama and Vidarsa qualifying for the finals.
In squash, Joshna Chinappa and Velavan Senthilkumar brought home a bronze medal after their mixed doubles semifinal loss to Hong Kong's Tang Ming Hong and Lee Ka Yi. Badminton results were mixed; while Unnati Hooda advanced in women's singles, Lakshya Sen was eliminated by Singapore's Loh Kean Yew in the men's singles second round.
Indian archers also showcased impressive skills in the qualification rounds, with Chikitha Taniparthi, Jyothi Surekha Vennam, and Prithika Pradeep finishing second in the women's team compound qualification. Meanwhile, Dhiraj Bommadevara, Neeraj Chauhan, and Yashdeep Bhoge secured third place in men's team recurve qualification, with Dhiraj setting both Asian and national records.
In athletics, Tejaswin Shankar and Thowfeeq Noushad continued their decathlon journey, with Tejaswin leading in the long jump event. Animesh Kujur qualified for the men's 200m semifinal after topping his heat.
India also made strides in fencing, with both the women's foil team and men's sabre team winning their round-of-16 matches before being eliminated in the quarterfinals by Japan and South Korea, respectively.
In canoe sprint, Parvathy Geetha and Prasanna Kumar reached Final A in the mixed kayak double 500m, while Harshwardhan Shaktawat advanced to Final B. However, table tennis players Yashaswini Ghorpade and Manush Shah were eliminated in the singles rounds, and esports player Paritosh lost in the quarterfinals of the Puyo Puyo Champions. Additionally, India finished eighth in the mixed canoe double 500m final with Raju Rawat and Neha Devi Leichonbam.