Asian Games 2026: Indian men shuttlers assured of a medal; women crash out

Indian badminton teams had a mixed day at the Asian Games, with the men assuring themselves of a medal after winning 3-0 against host Japan in the quarterfinal, while the women went down 1-3 to the home team at the Ichinomiya City Municipal Gymnasium on Tuesday (September 22, 2026).

It’s the first time in 40 years that the men’s team has won back-to-back medals at the Asian Games. The women, however, continue to wait for their first medal since the bronze in 2014.

Lakshya Sen came back from a game down to win the opening match against Kodai Naraoka to set the tone. Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty then overcame Hoki Takuro and Yugo Kobayashi in straight games to make it 2-0 before Ayush Shetty sealed the tie with a comprehensive win to ensure back-to-back podium finish for the Indian men.