Sport Updates
Same-day match highlights, records, team news and results from across the sports you follow.
India Women Out of Medal Contention After 1-3 Quarter-Final Loss to Japan
India's women's badminton team were eliminated from medal contention at the 2026 Asian Games, losing 1-3 to Japan in the team quarter-finals at Sky Hall Toyota. PV Sindhu pushed three-time world champion Akane Yamaguchi to three games, winning the opener 23-21 before Yamaguchi rallied to close it out 2-1 (21-23, 21-18, 21-11) and give Japan a 1-0 lead. Tomoka Miyazaki then beat Unnati Hooda in straight games to make it 2-0. Treesa Jolly and Gayatri Gopichand kept India's hopes alive with a straight-games doubles win over Yuki Fukushima and Mayu Matsumoto, but Nozomi Okuhara sealed the tie for Japan with a straight-games win over Tanvi Sharma , completing a 3-1 victory.
India Crush South Korea 63-31 to Move 2-0 in Kabaddi Group A
Defending champions India recorded their second consecutive blowout win in men's kabaddi at the 2026 Asian Games, beating South Korea 63-31 in their Group A preliminary tie at Toyohashi City General Gymnasium. India's raid and defence units maintained control throughout, moving to 2-0 in group play after Monday's 49-24 win over hosts Japan. The result keeps India on course for an unbeaten start to their title defence as they continue their Group A campaign.
Sakshi Chaudhary Stuns Olympic Medallist Villegas to Reach Pre-Quarters
Sakshi Chaudhary produced a dominant performance to beat Paris 2024 Olympic bronze medallist Aira Villegas of the Philippines by a unanimous 5-0 decision in the women's 51kg round of 32 at the 2026 Asian Games. The Commonwealth Games gold medallist controlled the bout from the opening bell at Aichi Prefectural Gymnasium. Four judges scored it 30-27 and one scored 30-26 in her favour. Sakshi advances to a high-profile pre-quarterfinal clash against Kazakhstan's reigning world champion Alua Balkibekova.
Elavenil Valarivan and Parth Mane Finish Fourth, India's Shooting Medal Streak Ends
India's remarkable run of shooting podiums at the 2026 Asian Games came to an end on Tuesday, with Elavenil Valarivan and Parth Mane finishing fourth in the 10m air rifle mixed team final, missing out on a medal with a score of 376.3 . The Indian pair remained in fourth throughout the final, trailing South Korea's bronze-medal position by narrow margins at each checkpoint. China's Wang Zifei and Sheng Lihao won gold with a world record 507.1 , South Korea's Hyojin Ban and Hajun Park took silver with 502.9, and Japan's Misaki Nobata and Naoki Hanakawa claimed bronze with 439.7. Elavenil and Parth had qualified second with 634.6, behind a world-record qualification score from the Chinese pair. The result ends a run in which India had claimed a medal in every shooting final at these Games so far - five medals in five events over the first two days, four of them involving Elavenil or Parth.
Emperor Naruhito Opens Asian Games as Bhaker and Sehrawat Lead India
The 20th Asian Games opened in Nagoya on Saturday, 19 September . Japan's Emperor Naruhito declared the Games open at Paloma Mizuho Stadium. IOC president Kirsty Coventry and OCA president Sheikh Joaan bin Hamad Al Thani were present. Olympic medallist Manu Bhaker and kabaddi star Pawan Sehrawat carried the flag for India. Bhaker won two bronze medals at Paris 2024. Sehrawat was part of India's gold-winning kabaddi team at Hangzhou. Sehrawat came in at the last minute. Shot putter Tajinderpal Singh Toor was first picked as the male flag-bearer. He could not take part because of a kit issue. The Games run until 4 October . There are 469 medal events in 43 sports . India crossed 100 medals for the first time at Hangzhou and will look to build on that.
Srihari Nataraj Misses Podium in 50m Backstroke Final
Srihari Nataraj missed the podium in the men's 50m backstroke final at the Asian Games 2026. He clocked 25.52 seconds at the Tokyo Aquatics Centre. That was 0.15 seconds slower than his qualifying time of 25.37 in the heats. It left him about 1.5 seconds behind the winner. China's Xu Jiayu won the gold in a Games record 24.04 seconds . It was his second gold of the meet. Xu also won the men's 100m backstroke on Sunday in a Games record 51.98. Srihari is a former Asian Games finalist. He finished sixth in the 100m backstroke final at Hangzhou. Fellow Indian Rishabh Das finished sixth in the 100m backstroke final in Tokyo on Sunday with a personal best.
Sumit Kundu Beats Thailand's Sinsiri 5-0 to Reach 70kg Pre-Quarters
Sumit Kundu started India's boxing campaign at the Asian Games 2026 with a 5-0 unanimous win over Thailand's Bunjong Sinsiri . The men's 70kg round of 32 bout took place at Nishio. Sinsiri came out aggressive in the opening round. Kundu settled in and took the round 4-1 on the judges' cards. He then grew in confidence in the second round. He landed his best punches in the final round to seal the win. The result puts Kundu into the pre-quarter-finals. He will face Iraq's Ali Qasim Hamdan Al-Sarra there. Kundu missed out on a medal at the Commonwealth Games last month. He said after the bout that his goal here is a gold medal . India have sent 11 boxers to Aichi-Nagoya, six men and five women.
Aadhya Tiwari and Jay Meena Bow Out of Soft Tennis Mixed Doubles
India's mixed doubles pair of Aadhya Tiwari and Jay Meena went out of the soft tennis event at the Asian Games 2026. They lost 2-5 to the Philippines' Christy Sanosa and Sherwin Nuguit in the round of 16. India won the first game 4-2. The Philippines then took four games in a row to lead 4-1. India won the sixth game 5-3 to stay alive. The Philippines closed it out with an 8-6 win in the seventh game. Tiwari and Meena had started well in Group B. They beat Cambodia's Viva Chao and Chanroseka Khun 5-0. They then beat Mongolia's Bud Nyamdorj and Enkhkhuslen Ganbaatar 5-0. They lost their last group match 1-5 to South Korea's Park Jaekyu and Kim Yeon-hwa . That still put them second in the group and into the knockouts.
India Men Lose 1-2 to Japan in Sepaktakraw Regu Opener
India's men's team lost 1-2 to hosts Japan in their opening Group B regu tie in sepaktakraw at the Asian Games 2026. India started well. They won the first regu 2-0 , taking the games 15-13 and 15-9 . That gave them a 1-0 lead in the tie. Japan then hit back. They won the second regu 2-1 to level the tie. They also took the deciding third regu 2-0. India play Malaysia next in Group B on Tuesday . Malaysia are a tough side and won silver in the men's regu at Hangzhou. India won bronze in the women's team regu at the last Games.
Roshibina Devi and Aryan Enter Wushu Sanda Quarter-Finals
Naorem Roshibina Devi and Aryan both won their opening bouts in wushu sanda at the Asian Games 2026. Both now move into the quarter-finals. Roshibina beat Bangladesh's Most Shika Khatun on point difference in the women's 60kg round of 16. She is a two-time Asian Games medallist . She won bronze at Jakarta 2018 and silver at Hangzhou. She is now one win away from securing another medal. Aryan beat Afghanistan's Shahzada Safi 2-0 in the men's 56kg round of 16. He won both rounds 5-0. He is a two-time junior world champion . Both Indians fight again on Tuesday for a place in the semi-finals. India's other sanda fighters, Aparna Dahiya and Vikrant Baliyan, went out in the round of 16 on Sunday.
India Men Blank Pakistan 3-0 in Table Tennis Group F
India's men's table tennis team bounced back from their opening-day loss to Iran with a clean 3-0 sweep of Pakistan in their Group F fixture at Sky Hall Toyota. Harmeet Desai , G. Sathiyan and Payas Jain all recorded straight-rubber victories, completing a clean sweep over Pakistan on the same day India's women's team also beat them 3-0. The win comes after India's men lost 0-3 to Iran on the opening day, having beaten Indonesia 3-0 in their first tie.
Three Hat-Tricks Power India to 17-1 Win Over Indonesia in Hockey
India's women's hockey team continued their goal rush at the 2026 Asian Games, beating Indonesia 17-1 in their second Pool B match at Gifu Prefectural Green Stadium. Deepika Sehrawat , Rutuja Pisal and Navneet Kaur all scored hat-tricks as India took their goal tally to 36 in two games , following their opening 19-0 win over Uzbekistan. The result puts India firmly on top of Pool B heading into their remaining group matches.
Lakshya Sen Leads India's 3-0 Sweep of Bangladesh Into Quarter-Finals
India's men's badminton team swept Bangladesh 3-0 in the round of 16 at the 2026 Asian Games to advance to the quarter-finals, winning all three ties in straight games at Sky Hall Toyota. Lakshya Sen got India off to a dominant start, beating Ayman Ibn Jaman 21-4, 21-12 . Ayush Shetty followed with a straight-games win, before Kidambi Srikanth completed the sweep by beating Jumar Al Amin 21-15, 21-11 . The clean sweep sends India through to the men's team quarter-finals without dropping a game.
India Rout Hosts Japan 49-24 to Open Kabaddi Title Defence
Defending champions India opened their men's kabaddi title defence at the 2026 Asian Games with an emphatic 49-24 win over hosts Japan at Toyohashi City General Gymnasium. India led 31-9 at half-time and rotated their bench through the second half, with Asian Games debutants Ayan Lohchab , Devank Dalal and Ashu Malik driving the scoring in the Group A preliminary tie. India will face South Korea next in their group on Tuesday as they look to defend the title they have held at every edition since kabaddi's introduction to the Games.
Suchika Tariyal Wins India's First-Ever Asian Games MMA Medal
Suchika Tariyal has officially secured a bronze medal for India in the women's traditional -60kg mixed martial arts event at the 2026 Asian Games, marking India's first-ever Asian Games medal in MMA . The 36-year-old, a former judo and jiu-jitsu champion, sealed her place on the podium after a hard-fought semifinal at Anjo City Gymnasium. MMA is making its debut as a medal sport at these Games. The medal comes on a day India also saw a shooting double-podium finish, taking the country's overall Asian Games 2026 tally to six medals across two sports.
Himanshu Dhillon and Rudrankksh Patil Complete India's Shooting Double Podium
India secured a shooting double-podium at the 2026 Asian Games, with Himanshu Dhillon winning silver and Rudrankksh Patil taking bronze in the men's 10m air rifle individual final at Aichi Shooting Range. China's Sheng Lihao , the reigning Olympic champion, won gold with a score of 233.0. Rudrankksh led for much of the final before a costly 9.7 on his 21st shot dropped him out of gold contention; he finished on 230.9. Dhillon, an Asian Games debutant, then pushed Sheng all the way in a final two-man shoot-off, both players scoring 10.6 on their last attempts, but Sheng's overall 233.0 held up against Dhillon's 231.0. The result came hours after the same trio - Dhillon, Patil and Parth Mane - had combined for team silver earlier in the day. India's shooting medal tally at these Games now stands at five: two individual/team silvers on Sunday, and a team silver plus this individual silver-bronze double on Monday.
India Women Finish Group F Unbeaten, Beat Pakistan 3-0 in Table Tennis
India's women's table tennis team finished top of Group F with a perfect record at the 2026 Asian Games, beating Pakistan 3-0 at Nagoya City General Gymnasium to advance directly to the quarter-finals. Sutirtha Mukherjee , Syndrela Das and Sreeja Akula all won their rubbers in straight games against Pakistan's Aleena Khan, Kalsoom Khan and Fatima Khan respectively, completing a clean sweep. The win means India finished Group F unbeaten, having also beaten Indonesia 3-0 and survived a scare against Singapore to win 3-2. The team now progresses straight to the quarter-finals without a playoff.
Rudrankksh Patil Leads India to Men's 10m Air Rifle Team Silver
India won their third shooting medal of the Asian Games 2026, taking silver in the men's 10m air rifle team event. Rudrankksh Balasaheb Patil , Himanshu Dhillon and Parth Mane combined for 1890.1 points, finishing behind China , who won gold with a world record 1899.0 . South Korea took bronze with 1884.2. Patil top-scored for India in qualification with 631.8 , finishing third. Dhillon scored 630.0 and placed seventh. Mane shot 628.3. Patil and Dhillon both made the eight-shooter individual final, giving India two shots at another medal in the event. The result takes India's shooting medal tally at these Games to three - two silvers on the opening day in the women's 10m air rifle events, and now this men's team silver on Day 2.
Aparna Dahiya and Vikrant Baliyan Exit Wushu Sanda in Round of 16
India's campaign in wushu sanda ended early at the 2026 Asian Games, with both entrants losing in the round of 16 at Aichi Prefectural Martial Arts Hall. Aparna Dahiya went down 0-2 to Iran's Sogand Sinkaeichetan in the women's 52kg category, on her Asian Games debut. In the men's 75kg category, Vikrant Baliyan also lost 0-2 to Iran's Soheil Mousavi, dropping both rounds 0-5. Both defeats came on the same day India's wushu changquan campaign also ended, with Suraj Singh Mayanglambam finishing 11th in the men's changquan final. India's wushu contingent will now shift focus to any remaining events on the schedule.
Quimcy Dsouza Suffers Injury in Heartbreaking Double Bronze Defeat
Quimcy Joaquim Dsouza came within a single point of two Asian Games medals on Sunday, before a physical setback ended her campaign on a painful note. In the women's teqball singles bronze playoff, she lost 0-2 (11-12, 11-12) to Japan's Yuina Sakamoto, both sets decided by the closest possible margin. She returned soon after for the mixed doubles bronze playoff, partnering Mohamed Anas Imran Beg against Vietnam's Hoang Minh Tan Nguyen and Gia Nghi Trinh. During that match, Dsouza sustained a back and leg injury that required an extended medical timeout. The India pair went on to lose 0-2 (9-12, 6-12) . Dsouza had reached the singles semifinal before falling to Indonesia's Sumaya , who went on to win silver behind Myanmar's Khin Hnin Wai , the eventual gold medallist. Her run marked India's deepest showing yet in Asian Games teqball, even though both bronze playoffs ended narrowly short.
Suchika Tariyal Reaches Semifinal, Assures India's First MMA Medal
Suchika Tariyal has guaranteed India's first-ever Asian Games medal in mixed martial arts, advancing to the women's traditional -60kg semifinal at the 2026 Games. Tariyal beat Mongolia's Altanchimeg Baigalmaa in the quarter-final at Anjo City Gymnasium to book her place in the last four, assuring at least a bronze medal. MMA made its Asian Games debut at these Games in Aichi-Nagoya. Tariyal will now turn her attention to the semifinal, with a place in the gold medal bout on the line.
Varun Sanyal Ruled Out of Asian Games After Weight-Cut Medical Emergency
Indian MMA fighter Varun Sanyal has been ruled out of the 2026 Asian Games after being declared medically unfit ahead of his men's traditional 77kg quarter-final bout. Sanyal suffered acute dizziness, lightheadedness, cramps and dehydration during a weight-cutting session in the sauna, forcing his withdrawal before the bout could take place. The setback comes on a day when India's other MMA representative, Suchika Tariyal, advanced to the women's -60kg semifinal, guaranteeing India's first-ever Asian Games MMA medal.
Rishabh Das Sets Personal Best, Finishes 6th in 100m Backstroke Final
India's Rishabh Das clocked a personal best in the men's 100m backstroke final at the 2026 Asian Games, finishing 6th with a time of 54.77 seconds . The final was won by China's Xu Jiayu in a Games record time, with Japan's Hidekazu Takehara taking silver (53.93s) and South Korea's Lee Joo-ho bronze (53.94s) in a tightly contested race for the podium. Das's personal best shows continued progress for the Indian swimmer, even as he finished outside the medal positions in a field led by some of Asia's fastest backstrokers.
Dilpreet Singh Hat-Trick Fires India to 13-1 Win Over Indonesia
India's men's hockey team thrashed Indonesia 13-1 in their Pool A opener at Gifu City Hockey Stadium, with Dilpreet Singh scoring a hat-trick to lead the rout. India led 7-0 at half-time and continued to pile on goals in the second half. Alongside Dilpreet's three goals, Shilanand Lakra scored twice, while Abhishek Nain , Mandeep Singh , Rajinder Singh , Sukhjeet Singh and captain Harmanpreet Singh all got on the scoresheet. The win comes on the same day India's women's team also opened with a big win, beating Uzbekistan 19-0 in Pool B, giving both Indian hockey teams commanding starts to their Asian Games campaigns.