Indian athletes delivered an emphatic, multi-sport charge at the 2026 Asian Games in Nagoya on Saturday, September 26, 2026, highlighted by historic squash breakthroughs that put two national stars on the brink of direct Olympic qualification. Teen prodigy Anahat Singh executed a stunning five-game comeback from two games down to topple Japan’s Satomi Watanabe, while Abhay Singh dismantled Pakistan’s Muhammad Irfan in straight games to secure their places in the women’s and men’s singles finals. Claiming the gold medal on Sunday will automatically punch their direct tickets to the 2028 Los Angeles Olympic Games. The sensational squash run was matched by commanding outings across archery qualification and the boxing ring, even as the badminton courts witnessed mixed fortunes with PV Sindhu and Ayush Shetty advancing while Lakshya Sen crashed out in the second round.
Squash Finalists on the Brink: Olympic Quota on the Line for Anahat and Abhay
The squash courts in Nagoya witnessed high-drama semifinal showdowns that set up massive continental title clashes:
Anahat’s Epic Five-Game Turnaround: Facing higher-ranked home favorite Satomi Watanabe of Japan, young Indian sensation Anahat Singh staged a breathtaking comeback after dropping the opening two games. Demonstrating unyielding court stamina and tactical precision, Anahat avenged previous head-to-head records with a gripping 9-11, 11-13, 12-10, 11-6, 11-3 victory. She now squares off against world No. 5 Sivasangari Subramaniam of Malaysia in Sunday’s gold medal encounter.
Abhay Singh Crushes Pakistan’s Irfan: In the men’s singles semifinal, Abhay Singh produced a dominant masterclass against Pakistan’s Muhammad Irfan, cruising to a ruthless 11-3, 12-10, 11-6 straight-games sweep. Abhay faces Malaysia’s top seed Ng Ean Yeow in the final.
The Olympic Stakes: With squash making its official debut at the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics, winning gold in Nagoya guarantees both Indian finalists direct continental qualification berths for LA28.
Mixed Fortunes in Badminton: Sindhu, Ayush, and Unnati Progress as Lakshya Bows Out
The second round of the Asian Games badminton competition brought both clinical progressions and an early exit for India’s men’s singles spearhead:
PV Sindhu Cruises to Pre-Quarterfinals: Two-time Olympic medallist PV Sindhu dispatched world No. 17 Chiu Pin-Chien of Chinese Taipei in straight games 21-19, 21-14, setting up a marquee clash against Japan’s Tomoka Miyazaki.
Rising Shuttlers Make Their Mark: Young sensation Ayush Shetty delivered an emphatic 21-7, 21-7 drubbing of Kazakhstan’s Makhsut Tazybullayev to advance against Chou Tien Chen of Chinese Taipei. Meanwhile, Unnati Hooda held her nerve in a three-game marathon against Malaysia’s Ling Ching Wong, winning 21-14, 20-22, 21-19 to earn a meeting with Indonesia’s Putri Kusuma Wardani.
Lakshya Sen Crashes Out: India’s campaign suffered a major blow as Commonwealth Games champion Lakshya Sen went down fighting 12-21, 21-15, 14-21 to Singapore’s former world champion Loh Kean Yew in a fierce second-round duel.
Ring Dominance and Archery Mastery: Boxers Eye Medals as Archers Rewrite Records
India’s combat and precision athletes stamped their authority with record-breaking scores and unanimous decisions:
Boxers Punch Quarterfinal Tickets: In the 90kg heavyweight division, Uttarakhand’s Kapil Pokhariya outclassed Iran’s Sam Estaki 5-0 to book a quarterfinal berth, while World Championship medalist Priya Ghanghas (60kg) registered an identical 5-0 unanimous decision over Korea’s Oh Yeon-ji. However, Commonwealth Games silver medallist Jadumani Singh (55kg) fell 0-3 against Carlo Paalam of the Philippines.
Archery Qualification Sweep: Fresh off his World Cup Final triumph, ace archer Dheeraj Bommadevara shattered the Asian Games qualification benchmark by shooting an astonishing 698 points to top the men’s recurve field. His masterclass earned India the No. 2 seeding in both the men’s recurve team and recurve mixed team draws.
Chikita Taniparthi Tops Compound Chart: Dominating the women’s compound ranking round, Chikita Taniparthi fired an extraordinary 705 points to take the individual top seed, guiding India to second place in the women’s compound team event alongside top billing in the compound mixed team bracket.