Ichinomiya, September 20 (Daily Kiran) : The Indian women’s badminton team achieved a significant milestone by defeating Kazakhstan 3-0 in the Round of 16 at the 2026 Asian Games held in Ichinomiya. This victory propels India into the quarterfinals, where they will face Japan on Tuesday. Japan received a bye in the first round, making this matchup crucial.
Two-time Olympic medalist PV Sindhu set the tone for the match, easily overcoming Kamila Smagulova with scores of 21-7, 21-9 in just 24 minutes. Following her, Unnati Hooda doubled India’s lead by defeating Alisa Kuleshova 21-7, 21-10, completing her match in 22 minutes. Finally, Tanvi Sharma wrapped up the contest by defeating Diana Namenova 21-5, 21-10 in a swift 19-minute match.
The upcoming quarterfinals promise to be intense, with PV Sindhu likely facing Akane Yamaguchi, while Unnati Hooda may go up against Tomoka Miyazaki. In doubles, Trisha Jolly and Gayatri Gopichand are expected to encounter Japan’s formidable pairs, including Yuki Fukushima-Mayu Matsumoto and Ki Nakanishi-Suzu Iwama.
Historically, the Indian women’s team has secured only one medal in doubles at the Asian Games, a bronze in 2014. Last edition’s performance saw them eliminated in the quarterfinals by Thailand with a 0-3 defeat.
In men’s badminton, the silver medal-winning team from the previous edition will compete against Bangladesh in the Round of 16 on Monday. In Hangzhou, Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty clinched India’s first gold medal in badminton, while HS Prannoy earned a bronze in men’s singles. The current men’s team is also set to face Japan in the quarterfinals, with exciting matchups expected between Lakshya Sen and Kodai Naraoka, as well as Ayush Shetty against Yushi Tanaka.
The men’s doubles team of Rankireddy and Shetty may meet Japan’s Hiroki Okamura and Takuro Hoki, depending on the final team compositions.
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