Indian Badminton Team Faces Upset at 2026 Asian Games in Nagoya

Nagoya, September 25 (Daily Kiran) : In a disappointing turn of events for Indian badminton, the men’s doubles team of Satwik Sairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty has been eliminated from the 2026 Asian Games in Nagoya, Japan. The reigning champions faced a tough match against Thailand’s Pakkapon Teerarak and Pirachai Sukfun, losing with scores of 21-12, 19-21, and 14-21.

Initially, the Indian duo started strong, easily clinching the first game. However, the Thai pair made a comeback, taking the second game and ultimately securing victory in the decisive game, sending Satwik and Chirag home earlier than expected.

On a brighter note, Tanisha Crasto and Dhruv Kapila advanced to the mixed doubles quarter-finals. They delivered an impressive performance against Malaysia’s Shevon Jemie Lai and Soon Huat Goh, winning in a tightly contested match with scores of 22-20 and 24-22. The duo maintained their composure during critical moments, securing their spot in the last eight.

In the quarter-finals, they will face the Chinese pair of Yan Zhe Feng and Dongping Huang. Additionally, World Championship medalists Trisha Jolly and Gayatri Gopichand also progressed to the pre-quarter finals of the women’s doubles by defeating Hong Kong’s Lok Lok Lui and Tsang Hiu Yan, with scores of 21-16, 16-21, and 21-16.

However, the men’s doubles pair of Hariharan Amshakaran and R. Arjun Madathil were not as fortunate, losing to Indonesia’s Fajar Alfian and Muhammad Shohibul Fikri in straight games, 14-21 and 11-21, failing to mount a significant challenge.

Earlier in the day, Unnati Hooda advanced to the second round of the women’s singles event, easily defeating North Korea’s Mi Song Yu with scores of 21-9 and 21-10. Unnati dominated the match from the start, not allowing her opponent any opportunity to gain momentum.