The 2026 Asian Games continued in Aichi Nagoya on September 26 with India competing across several sporting disciplines. The day featured important fixtures in badminton, hockey, surfing, athletics, shooting, squash and other events as Indian athletes looked to add to the country’s medal tally.
Among the early highlights was the women’s badminton competition, where Treesa Jolly and Gayatri Gopichand faced Japan’s Mayu Matsumoto and Yuki Fukushima. The Indian pair produced a determined performance in a closely contested opening game. After taking an early advantage, the Indians found themselves under pressure as the Japanese pair fought back strongly.
The opening game remained extremely competitive and reached 14 14 before the score moved towards the closing stages. Japan then earned game points, putting pressure on the Indian pair. Treesa and Gayatri managed to save both opportunities before bringing the score level. The Indians eventually secured the opening game 24 22 after a combination of Japanese errors and a strong attacking response from the Indian duo.
The result gave Treesa and Gayatri an important early advantage in their individual doubles campaign. The pair entered the Asian Games with significant expectations after establishing themselves as one of India’s leading women’s doubles combinations. Their performance on September 26 added another important chapter to India’s badminton campaign in Aichi Nagoya. India’s badminton schedule on the day also included PV Sindhu and Unnati Hooda in women’s singles, along with other Indian players in the individual events.
Unnati Hooda was also involved in a closely fought singles contest. In the opening game against Indonesia’s Putri Kusuma Wardani, the Indian teenager produced a strong finish after a largely even contest. Unnati took the first game 21 19, showing composure during the closing stages.
The badminton programme has been one of the important parts of India’s Asian Games campaign. The Indian squad includes experienced players such as PV Sindhu along with younger athletes including Unnati Hooda, Tanvi Sharma and the Treesa Jolly Gayatri Gopichand doubles combination. The tournament is being played in Aichi Nagoya from September 19 to October 4.
Men’s hockey was another major focus on the day. India faced Japan in its final Pool A match. Japan began the contest by putting pressure on the Indian defence and attempting to create opportunities through counter attacks. India, meanwhile, looked to control possession and create scoring chances through its attacking moves.
India eventually took a 1 0 lead through Abhishek. The Indian forward received and controlled the ball inside the circle before finishing past the Japanese goalkeeper. Japan had an opportunity to respond before the end of the opening quarter, but its attempt went narrowly wide.
The match was particularly important because hockey at the Aichi Nagoya Asian Games carries additional significance for Olympic qualification. The winners of the men’s and women’s hockey competitions will earn direct qualification for the Los Angeles 2028 Olympic Games. India therefore entered the tournament with a major objective beyond simply winning an Asian Games medal.
The surfing schedule also faced a change because of weather and sea conditions. The women’s shortboard Round 2 events scheduled for September 26 were postponed following a routine review of the conditions. Indian surfers including Kamali Prakash and Sugar Shanti had been scheduled to compete.
The decision to postpone the round was connected to the assessment of weather and surfing conditions rather than the performance of any individual athlete. The surfing events are being held as part of the Aichi Nagoya Asian Games, with India fielding competitors in the shortboard events. The updated schedule will depend on the conditions and the organisers’ subsequent decision.
India had already enjoyed several notable performances during the day. In shooting, Tilottama Sen, Vidarsa K Vinod and Ashi Chouksey won the silver medal in the women’s 50 metre rifle three positions team event. India finished with 1,763 points, while China won gold with 1,773 points. Tilottama and Vidarsa also qualified for the individual final, giving India another opportunity in the discipline.
Athletics also produced an important result for India, with Sawan Barwal winning silver in the men’s marathon. Barwal completed the race in 2 hours 11 minutes 37 seconds, finishing behind Japan’s Ichitaka Yamashita. The medal ended India’s 44 year wait for an Asian Games marathon medal.
The wider Indian schedule on September 26 included several medal opportunities. The country’s men’s and women’s kabaddi teams were scheduled to face Iran in their respective finals. Athletics featured Tajinderpal Singh Toor in the men’s shot put final, while Praveen Chitravel was scheduled to compete in the men’s triple jump final. Tejaswin Shankar also began his decathlon campaign.
In squash, Anahat Singh and Abhay Singh were scheduled to compete in their respective singles semifinals. Boxing, archery, fencing, canoe sprint, equestrian events and table tennis also featured Indian athletes during the day.
The badminton events remained among the most closely followed competitions because of India’s strong individual players and doubles combinations. PV Sindhu was scheduled to compete in the women’s singles second round, while Unnati Hooda also continued her campaign. Treesa Jolly and Gayatri Gopichand’s progress was another important development for the Indian badminton contingent.
The Asian Games 2026 are being held in Aichi Nagoya, Japan, from September 19 to October 4. A total of 45 countries and regions are competing across 43 sports. India entered the Games aiming to build on its record 107 medal haul from the 2023 Hangzhou Asian Games.
The events on September 26 therefore represented another busy day for the Indian contingent. From badminton and hockey to shooting, athletics and squash, Indian athletes were competing across several venues with medal and qualification opportunities at stake.
The Treesa Jolly and Gayatri Gopichand match demonstrated the intensity of the badminton competition, with the Indian pair having to recover from a difficult phase before taking the opening game. The hockey contest against Japan also provided an early indication of the competitive nature of the Pool A fixture.
With several events continuing through the day, India’s campaign remained focused on securing further medals and progressing through the knockout stages. The postponement of the surfing round means that Indian surfers will have to wait for the organisers to announce the revised schedule.
For readers following the Asian Games live, the results from September 26 will continue to develop as competitions conclude. Early scores and projections from live events can change during play, while final results should be treated separately from in-game updates. India’s confirmed silver medals in the men’s marathon and women’s 50 metre rifle three positions team event provided significant additions to the medal tally, while badminton and hockey remained among the key events attracting attention.
