Lakshya helps Indian shuttlers make a bright start to their Asian Games campaign

Lakshya Sen helped India make a commanding start to their Asian Games 2026 campaign, cruising past Bangladesh 3-0 in the pre-quarterfinals at the Ichinomiya City Municipal Gymnasium in Japan on Monday.

World No. 14 Lakshya Sen set the tone with a 21-4, 21-12 victory over Ayman Ibn Jaman in the opening singles rubber. Ayush Shetty, 20th in the badminton rankings, was equally dominant against Gourab Singha, racing through the opening game before sealing a 21-4, 21-13 victory to put India 2-0 ahead.

Former world No. 1 Kidambi Srikanth, currently ranked 29th, then completed the sweep with a 21-15, 21-9 win over Jumar Al-Amin.

None of the three Bangladeshi shuttlers fielded in the singles were ranked inside the world’s top 100.

Former world No. 1 Kidambi Srikanth, currently ranked 29th, then completed the sweep with a 21-15, 21-9 win over Jumar Al-Amin. Pics: BAI

India, therefore, progressed without needing to field their doubles combinations, including world No. 5 Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty, the reigning Asian Games men’s doubles champions.

The Indian men, silver medallists in the team event at Hangzhou 2023, will face fourth seeds and hosts Japan in the quarterfinals on Tuesday.

World No. 7 Kodai Naraoka, who won the men’s singles silver medal at the BWF World Championships last month, headlines Japan’s challenge.

Japan can also call upon world No. 18 Yushi Tanaka, the Swiss Open 2026 champion, while former world champions Takuro Hoki and Yugo Kobayashi are ranked ninth in the men’s doubles.

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A victory against Japan will assure India of at least a bronze medal and a second successive podium finish in the men’s team event.

India had beaten Republic of Korea 3-2 in the semifinals at Hangzhou 2023 before settling for silver following a defeat to the People’s Republic of China in the gold-medal tie.

Indian women face Japan in quarters

The Indian women’s team will also face Japan in the quarterfinals on Tuesday after beating Kazakhstan 3-0 in its opening match on Sunday.

PV Sindhu led the charge as the Indian women’s badminton team made a 3-0 sweep of Kazakhstan in the pre-quarterfinals. The two-time Olympic medallist set the tone with a 21-7, 21-9 victory over Kamila Smagulova in the opening singles rubber.

PV Sindhu, competing at her fourth Asian Games, needed just 24 minutes to put India 1-0 ahead

The 31-year-old Indian badminton player, competing at her fourth Asian Games, needed just 24 minutes to put India 1-0 ahead.

Unnati Hooda maintained India’s stranglehold on the tie with an equally convincing 21-7, 21-10 victory over Alissa Kuleshova in 22 minutes.

Tanvi Sharma then completed the sweep by beating Diana Namenova 21-5, 21-10 in just 19 minutes.

India, therefore, progressed without needing to call upon their doubles combinations and without dropping a game across the three singles matches. None of the three Kazakh shuttlers in the tie was ranked inside the top 100 in women’s singles.