Asian Games 2026: Indian Badminton Men Assure Medal

India produced several notable performances at the Asian Games 2026. The men’s badminton team stormed into the semifinals and assured itself of a medal after defeating hosts Japan 3-0 in the quarterfinals. Lakshya Sen staged a remarkable comeback against Kodai Naraoka, recovering from a first-game loss to win 11-21, 21-5, 21-19. Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty then defeated Takuro Hoki and Koba­yashi 21-18, 24-22, before Ayush Shetty sealed the tie with a 21-10, 21-19 win over Koki Watanabe. The women’s badminton team, however, lost 1-3 to Japan and exited the competition.

India’s men’s hockey team continued its impressive run, defeating Sri Lanka 16-1 after opening the campaign with a 13-1 win over Indonesia. Jugraj Singh scored four goals, while Abhishek and Dilpreet Singh completed hat-tricks. In wushu, Roshibina Devi defeated Macao’s Chu Man Sin 5-0 in the women’s 60kg quarterfinal to secure a medal and reach the semifinals. Gymnast Pranati Nayak also qualified for the women’s vault final, while Indian boxers Sakshi Chaudhary and Jadumani Singh progressed in their respective events. India faced setbacks in shooting and table tennis, with Elavenil Valarivan-Parth Mane finishing fourth in the 10m air rifle mixed team final and both Indian table tennis teams being eliminated.