PV Sindhu Falls to Japans Akane Yamaguchi in Asian Games 2026 Quarterfinals

Ichinomiya City, September 22 (Daily Kiran) : Indian badminton star PV Sindhu faced a disappointing defeat on Tuesday in the quarterfinals of the Asian Games 2026. Competing against Japan’s Akane Yamaguchi at the Ichinomiya City Municipal Gymnasium, Sindhu lost after a hard-fought match that ended with scores of 21-23, 18-21, and 11-21.

The match began with Sindhu displaying resilience, winning the first game in a tiebreaker. However, Yamaguchi, a three-time world champion, quickly turned the tide in her favor, securing a 1-0 lead for her team in the quarterfinals.

Before this match, the two players had met 30 times, with Sindhu leading their head-to-head record at 16 wins. Following Tuesday’s loss, the tally now stands at 16-15 in favor of Sindhu. In a thrilling first game, she managed to close a gap and win 23-21, despite trailing at various points.

In the second game, Sindhu fought back from a 12-17 deficit, narrowing the score to 16-18. However, Yamaguchi responded effectively, taking a 19-16 lead and ultimately winning the game 21-18.

The decisive third game saw Yamaguchi dominate, with Sindhu struggling to keep pace. She fell behind 4-11 and ultimately lost 11-21, marking a challenging outing for the Indian women’s badminton team. Historically, India has only secured one team medal in badminton at the Asian Games, a bronze in the 2014 Incheon Games. In the previous Asian Games in 2023, the team was eliminated in the quarterfinals by Thailand with a score of 0-3.