India's Mixed Fortunes at Asian Games 2026: Highlights and Heartbreaks
The Asian Games schedule in Aichi-Nagoya rolled through Tuesday like a stress test for India’s sporting depth. Medals were in sight in some arenas, heartbreak lingered in others, and a few campaigns are only just beginning to take shape.
Badminton: Sen’s fightback lights up the men’s team tie
In the men’s team quarterfinal against Japan, Lakshya Sen walked a tightrope and refused to fall.
Up against World No. 7 Kodai Naraoka, Sen started poorly, surrendering the opening game 11-21. Naraoka dictated the pace, controlled the length, and looked every bit the favourite. Sen needed a reset, and he found it.
The response was ruthless. Sen tore through the second game 21-5, flipping the tone of the match in minutes. His attack clicked, his length tightened, and suddenly it was Naraoka scrambling.
The decider turned into a nerve test. Naraoka led by five points late on, but Sen clawed his way back, one rally at a time, and edged a gripping finish to seal a 2-1 win (11-21, 21-5, 21-19). From 0-1 down in games and chasing in the third, he handed India the perfect 1-0 cushion in the tie.
That left Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty with a platform against Hoki-Kobayashi in the second match, India looking to turn Sen’s comeback into a full-blown surge toward the semifinals.
Women’s badminton: Japan slam the door
The women’s team, though, ran into a wall painted red and white.
It began with P. V. Sindhu against Akane Yamaguchi in the opening singles. Sindhu produced the kind of fight that has defined her career. From 13-17 down in the first game, she stormed back to take it 23-21, holding her nerve on the second game point after both players misjudged crucial shots at the line.
Yamaguchi, though, refused to fold. She edged the second game 21-18, having led 17-12 before Sindhu threatened another late heist. In the decider, the Japanese star finally pulled away, dominating the final stretch to win 21-11 and give Japan a 1-0 lead after an hour and 12 minutes of high-class badminton.
The pressure shifted to Unnati Hooda. The teenager started brightly against Tomoka Miyazaki, even opening up an 11-4 lead in the second game after dropping the first 16-21. It was a golden chance to drag the match into a decider. Instead, Miyazaki reeled her in, taking the second 21-18 and closing out a straight-games win that pushed India into a 0-2 hole.
Treesa Jolly and Gayatri Gopichand kept the contest alive with the kind of doubles performance that hints at a long future at this level. Facing Yuki Fukushima and Mayu Matsumoto in a must-win rubber, the World Championships bronze medallists were sharp and composed, winning 21-17, 21-16 to make it 1-2 and force a fourth match.
The comeback stopped there. Tanvi Sharma, in a do-or-die third singles, ran into the experience and precision of Nozomi Okuhara. The former World Champion never loosened her grip, closing out a commanding 21-12, 21-10 win. Japan took the tie 3-1; India’s hopes of a first women’s team medal since 2014 ended in the quarterfinals.
Cricket: Mandhana headlines a batting statement
On the cricket field, India’s women put down a marker in the gold-medal match against Sri Lanka.
Harmanpreet Kaur won the toss and chose to bat, and the openers justified the call with immediate authority. At the end of the PowerPlay, India was cruising at 67/0, with Smriti Mandhana on 38* and Shafali Verma on 29*, both dictating terms to the Sri Lankan attack.
The momentum never really dipped. India finished on 216/3, its third-highest total in WT20Is. Mandhana led the way with a sparkling 79 off 45 balls, all timing and intent. Verma’s 48 off 29 set the tone early, and Richa Ghosh’s blistering 49 off 22 ensured the innings closed with a flourish.
It leaves Chamari Athapaththu and Sri Lanka staring at a daunting chase, with India eyeing back-to-back Asian Games titles.
Shooting: From world-record shadow to a painful fourth
In the 10m air rifle mixed team, Parth Mane and Elavenil Valarivan did the hard part first. They shot 634.6 in qualification, finishing second only to China, who set a new Qualification World Record of 638.9. Japan ended on 631.4, Vietnam initially took the fourth spot with 631.7 before being disqualified, allowing Japan into the medal round.
The final, though, never quite caught fire for India. After the first 10-shot series, China led on 107.2, with Korea (104.9), Japan (103.9) and India (103.6) in that order. The pattern held. By the end of the second series, China stayed clear on 211.9, Japan climbed to 209.4, Korea slipped to 209.2, and India remained fourth with 207.9.
The third series confirmed the trend. India closed on 376.3, stuck in fourth, off the pace of the medals. China took gold with a new World Record of 507.1, Republic of Korea claimed silver with 502.9, and Japan secured bronze on 439.7. For Mane and Valarivan, it was a result that will sting after such a strong morning.
Gymnastics and Wushu: Narrow gaps, solid finishes
On the apparatus, Pranati Nayak stayed in the medal conversation in the women’s vault. She sat fourth with a total of 12.916, built on a 13.000 first vault and a 12.433 second. It left her hovering just outside the podium, every decimal suddenly feeling heavier than usual.
In Wushu, Hanjabam Langlentombi Devi put together a composed all-round display in the women’s Nanquan & Nandao combined event. She finished ninth overall with 18.839, after placing ninth in Nanquan with 9.403 and then improving to eighth in the Nandao final with 9.436. Not a medal, but a performance that keeps India visible in a sport still building its base back home.
Fencing: A breakthrough, then the World Champion
Tanishka Khatri offered Indian fencing one of its brighter moments of the day. In the women’s epee individual, she first navigated the pool stage, finishing third in Pool 4. That set up a round-of-32 clash against Thailand’s Natpapat Sangngio, which she controlled well to win 15-10, becoming the first Indian fencer of the day to win a knockout bout.
The reward? A round-of-16 showdown with reigning World Champion Song Sera of the Republic of Korea. There, the gulf in class told. Khatri went down 9-15, her run ending against the very best in the world.
On the men’s foil side, both Hemash Singh Sanasam and Sachin progressed from the pool stage into the round of 32. Hemash had mixed fortunes early, losing 2-5 to Singapore’s Raphael Juan Kang Tan before bouncing back with wins over Japan’s Kazuki Iimura (5-1), Philippines’ Sammuel Tranquilan (5-2) and Oman’s Saeed Al Shuaibi (5-1). Sachin opened with a 5-0 win against Pakistan’s Baryal Khan, then beat Kazakhstan’s Galim Nurumov 5-3, but suffered defeats to Chinese Taipei’s Chen Chih-Chieh (2-5) and Korea’s Jeonghyun Youn (0-5).
In the knockouts, both Indians ran into Kazakh opposition and both exited at the same stage. Hemash lost 9-15 to Nurumov after leading 6-5 following the first period, while Sachin also went down 9-15 to Timofey Semyonov.
Table tennis: Women scrap through, men bow out
The women’s team tie against Thailand in the round of 16 turned into a rollercoaster.
India’s No. 1, Sreeja Akula, looked in full command in the opening singles, leading Orawan Paranang 2-0 in games and then holding match point at 10-9 in the decider. She couldn’t convert. Paranang completed a remarkable turnaround to win 3-2 (7-11, 1-11, 11-9, 11-6, 12-10) and hand Thailand a 1-0 lead.
Yashaswini Ghorpade dragged India back into it with a gutsy performance against Suthasini Sawettabut. From 1-2 down in games, she rallied to take it 3-2 (11-8, 5-11, 7-11, 11-9, 11-9), levelling the tie at 1-1.
Diya Chitale then fell in a tight five-gamer to Jinnipa Sawettabut, 2-3 (7-11, 11-5, 11-7, 7-11, 11-13), leaving India trailing 1-2 and under real pressure. Once again, Ghorpade delivered. In the fourth singles, she swept past Orawan Paranang 3-0 (11-5, 11-8, 11-9), forcing a decider.
This time, Akula made it count. In the fifth and final singles, she beat Suthasini Sawettabut 3-1 (9-11, 11-6, 12-10, 11-8), sealing a 3-2 victory and a place in the quarterfinals, where India will face North Korea.
The men’s team did not find similar resilience. Facing the Republic of Korea in the round of 16, India went down 0-3. Harmeet Desai lost the opener 1-3 (11-8, 7-11, 8-11, 9-11) to Jang Woojin. Manush Shah battled hard in the second rubber, forcing a decider against Oh Junsung but failing to close it out. In the third match, An Jaehyun finished the job, beating Manav Thakkar 3-1 (12-10, 11-6, 7-11, 12-10) to end India’s campaign.
Kabaddi: Men send another warning
On the kabaddi mat, the defending men’s champions looked exactly that.
India overpowered Korea 63-31 in their second Group A match, making it two wins from two in their title defence. The scoreline underlined both depth and ruthlessness, with India pulling clear and never letting up as the game wore on.
Soft tennis: Mixed fortunes in the groups
In soft tennis, there was a bit of everything.
Among the men, Jay Meena delivered a clean performance in his only group-stage match, beating Pakistan’s Hussain Arain 4-0 (4-2, 4-0, 4-2, 4-0) to move into the knockouts. Aryan Thakur began his Group C campaign strongly as well, sweeping Mongolia’s Bold-erdene Altangerel 4-0 in his opener.
His second outing told a different story. Against Chinese Taipei’s Chen Po-Yi, Thakur lost 0-4 (1-4, 2-4, 2-4, 1-4). The defeat means India finishes second in the group and Thakur misses out on the final-eight stage.
In women’s singles, Aadhya Tiwari endured a tough start, losing her Group D opener 1-4 (4-1, 0-4, 0-4, 2-4, 4-6) to Thailand’s Alisha Ziegler. She responded with a clinical 4-0 (4-2, 5-3, 4-1, 5-3) win over Pakistan’s Kainaat Shallwani to record her first victory of the competition.
Esports and sepaktakraw: Hard battles, thin margins
In esports, India’s pairing of Chinmay Sahoo and Danial Patel opened their eFootball Group D campaign with a 0-0 draw against Uzbekistan’s Abubakir Iminjonov and Farrukh Mirkhamitov. Not spectacular, but a point on the board.
In sepaktakraw, India’s men found themselves up against one of the region’s powerhouses. In the Group B regu fixtures, the Indian men’s team lost the first of three matches to Malaysia 1-2 (13-15, 15-11, 6-15). Malaysia then clinched the second match 2-0 (15-9, 15-12) to take an unassailable 2-0 lead, and later swept the third 2-0 (15-11, 15-5) to complete a 3-0 victory. India will face the Philippines in its final group match.
Karate: Agony on the brink of history
India’s men’s -84kg kumite campaign carried real promise and ended in a cruel lesson in fine print.
Chetan Bhatt began directly in the semifinals, knowing a win would secure a first-ever karate medal for India at the Asian Games. He ran into Jordan’s Mohammad Alja’Fari and lost 0-8, pushed into the bronze-medal bout instead.
There, against Chung Meng-yu of Chinese Taipei, Bhatt fought to a 1-1 draw, both scoring one yuko. The medal went to Chung on the tie-breaker — first point scored. One moment, one attack, separating the podium from heartbreak.
In the women’s -55kg kumite, Alisha Choudhary lost her round-of-16 bout 1-6 to Indonesia’s Cok Istri Agung Sanistyarani. Her only remaining hope lay in the repechage route, dependent on Sanistyarani reaching the final. When the Indonesian lost in the semifinals, Choudhary’s chance at a bronze fight disappeared with her.
Swimming: Relay into the final
There was a quieter but important step forward in the pool.
The Indian men’s 4x100m medley relay team of Rishabh Das, Danush Suresh, Benedicton Rohit and Akash Mani clocked 3:40.41 in the heats, finishing seventh among 16 teams. The time was enough to book a lane in the final scheduled for 2:55 p.m. IST, another opportunity for a young squad to test itself in a continental final.
Equestrian: Learning curve in eventing
In eventing dressage, India fielded three riders and came away with a clear sense of the climb ahead.
Fouaad Mirza, a double Asian Games silver medallist in this discipline, rode his 10-year-old bay gelding Camouflage 38 to a score of 38.70 and a percentile rating of 61.33, placing 26th. Arjan Singh Nagra, on his 12-year-old grey stallion Cooley Goodwood, edged ahead with 38.20 and a 61.80 percentile to finish 23rd.
India’s best mark came from Ashish Limaye on Willy be Dun, the 14-year-old bay gelding he also rode in Hangzhou. Limaye posted 35.50 with a percentile of 64.47, good enough for 14th in a 32-rider field. Only three riders crossed the 70-percentile mark, with China’s Tian Hua and his Irish Sport Horse gelding Manjushri leading the standings, followed by Thailand’s Korntawat Samran and Japan’s Toshiyuki.
Eventing scores accumulate across dressage, cross-country and show jumping, and the team standings reflect combined individual marks. India’s total of 112.40 leaves it seventh in an eight-country field, well outside medal range for now. Japan leads on 91.60. In this sport, the lower the score, the cleaner the performance — and India has work to do in the phases to come.
A day that asked questions
From Sen’s comeback on the badminton court to Mandhana’s authority with the bat, from Ghorpade’s grit at the table to Bhatt’s heartbreak on the tatami, India’s Tuesday in Aichi-Nagoya offered a familiar mix: flashes of world-class quality, promises for tomorrow, and the sharp reminder that at this level, the margins are unforgiving.
The question now is simple: which of these stories becomes a turning point in this campaign, and which remain as lessons filed away for the next big stage?
