Ichinomiya, Sept 2026 : India advanced to the women’s badminton team quarterfinals at the Asian Games after defeating Kazakhstan 3-0 in the Round of 16 on Sunday.
Two-time Olympic medallist PV Sindhu and Unnati Hooda won their respective singles matches in straight games before Tanvi Sharma completed India’s clean sweep with another commanding victory.
Sindhu, who opened the tie for India, comfortably defeated Kamila Smagulova 21-7, 21-9 in just 24 minutes to put the Indian team 1-0 ahead.
Unnati then extended India’s advantage with a 21-7, 21-10 victory over Alissa Kuleshova in 22 minutes. The Indian youngster controlled the contest from the outset and ensured Kazakhstan had no opportunity to level the tie.
World Junior Championships silver medallist Tanvi Sharma sealed the result in the third match, defeating Diana Namenova 21-5, 21-10 in only 19 minutes.
India will now face hosts Japan in the quarterfinals on Tuesday. Japan received a first-round bye and will enter the last-eight clash fresh. A victory in the quarterfinal would guarantee India a place on the podium.
The tie against Japan could produce several high-profile contests. Sindhu could potentially face Japan’s Akane Yamaguchi, while Unnati may come up against Tomoka Miyazaki in the singles.
India’s doubles combinations could also face a strong challenge. Treesa Jolly and Gayatri Gopichand could be up against Japan’s leading pairs, including Yuki Fukushima and Mayu Matsumoto, or Kie Nakanishi and Suzu Iwana, depending on the final match-ups.
India’s women have won only one Asian Games team medal so far — a bronze at the 2014 Incheon Games. At the 2023 Asian Games in Hangzhou, the Indian women’s team exited in the quarterfinals after suffering a 0-3 defeat against Thailand.
The Indian men’s team, which won silver at the previous edition, will begin its campaign on Monday when it takes on Bangladesh in the Round of 16.
At Hangzhou 2023, Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty created history by winning India’s first Asian Games badminton gold medal, while HS Prannoy secured a bronze in the men’s singles event.
The reigning silver medallists could face Japan in the men’s quarterfinals if they progress. That potential tie could feature several exciting match-ups, including Lakshya Sen against Kodai Naraoka and Ayush Shetty against Yushi Tanaka.
In doubles, Satwik and Chirag could potentially face Japan’s Hiroki Okamura and Takuro Hoki, depending on the progression and final tie-ups.
