Asian Games 2026: India assured males’s workforce badminton medal after 3-0 win over Japan in QFs

Aichi-Nagoya [Japan], September 22 (ANI): India have been assured a medal within the males’s workforce badminton occasion on the Asian Games 2026 after defeating hosts Japan 3-0 within the quarterfinals on Tuesday, with Lakshya Sen, Satwiksairaj Rankireddy-Chirag Shetty and Ayush Shetty successful their respective matches.

Lakshya gave India a 1-0 lead after recovering from a recreation all the way down to defeat Japan’s Kodai Naraoka in an exhilarating three-game encounter. Sen misplaced the opening recreation 11-21 however bounced again strongly within the second, racing to a 19-4 lead earlier than taking it 21-5 to power a decider.

The Indian shuttler discovered himself trailing 8-14 within the deciding recreation however produced a powerful comeback to stage the rating at 19-19 earlier than successful the sport 21-19 and placing India forward.

The doubles pair of Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty then defeated Japan’s Hoki/Kobayashi 21-18, 24-22 to increase India’s result in 2-0.

The Indian pair recovered after a intently fought opening part to take the primary recreation 21-18. The second recreation remained tight, with the rating stage at 19-19 and 20-20 earlier than Satwik and Chirag ultimately sealed the competition 24-22.

With India needing another win to seal the tie, Ayush Shetty produced one other composed efficiency towards his Japanese opponent.

Ayush made a powerful begin, racing to a 7-2 lead and increasing it to 16-5 earlier than closing out the opening recreation 21-10. The Indian continued his momentum within the second recreation and ultimately received 21-19 to finish India’s 3-0 victory. 

The win ensured India a medal within the males’s workforce badminton occasion, with the workforce advancing to the semifinals on the Asian Games.

Meanwhile, India clinched its first gold medal of the Asian Games 2026 as the ladies’s cricket workforce defeated Sri Lanka by 147 runs within the remaining, whereas in boxing, Sakshi Chaudhary and Jadumani Singh superior with wins of their respective bouts.

In badminton, India’s girls’s workforce misplaced 3-1 to Japan within the quarterfinals. India’s girls’s desk tennis workforce beat Thailand 3-2 within the Round of 16, whereas the boys’s workforce misplaced 0-3 to South Korea.

In capturing, Elavenil Valarivan and Parth Mane completed fourth within the 10m Air Rifle Mixed Team remaining, whereas Anantjeet Singh Naruka was second in males’s skeet qualification after Day 2 and Raiza Dhillon was fifth within the girls’s occasion. 

India additionally registered a 63-31 win over South Korea in males’s kabaddi, whereas the boys’s sepaktakraw workforce misplaced 3-0 to Malaysia. In swimming, India’s males’s 4x100m medley relay workforce certified for the ultimate, whereas Aryan Nehra completed fourth within the 1500m freestyle remaining B.

Taniksha Khatri exited within the fencing epee quarterfinals, whereas Mitva Chaudhari, Hemash Singh Sanasam and Sachin additionally bowed out of their respective bouts. 

In delicate tennis, Aryan Thakur registered a win and a loss, whereas Aadhya Tiwari and Jay Meena secured wins of their respective singles matches. In karate, Alisha Choudhary misplaced within the girls’s -55kg Round of 16, whereas India’s eFootball pair drew 0-0 with Uzbekistan. In equestrian dressage, Ashish Limaye completed thirteenth, Arjan Nagra twenty third and Fouaad Mirza twenty sixth, whereas Wushu exponent Langlentombi Devi Hanjabam completed ninth. (ANI)