Ankita Raina-Rutuja Bhosale knocked out of Asian Games tennis
India's Ankita Raina and Rutuja Bhosale suffer a heartbreaking loss to Kazakhstan in the Asian Games women's doubles tennis event.
India's women's doubles tennis campaign at the 2026 Asian Games came to a sudden end on Monday. The duo of Ankita Raina and Rutuja Bhosale were eliminated following a grueling three-set battle against Kazakhstan's Anna Danilina and Yuliya Putintseva.
In a match that swung back and forth, the Indian pair ultimately succumbed to the Kazakh duo with a scoreline of 7-5, 3-6, [5-10].
A rollercoaster battle in Aichi-Nagoya
The contest began with high intensity as Raina and Bhosale displayed exceptional form to claim the opening set 7-5. Their ability to hold their ground against Yuliya Putintseva—a formidable Top 100 WTA Tour regular—showed the strength of the Indian pairing.
However, the momentum shifted in the second set. Danilina and Putintseva found their rhythm, fighting back to take the set 6-3 and forcing a deciding match tiebreak. In the high-pressure tiebreak, the Kazakh players maintained their composure to win 10-5, sealing the victory and ending India's run in the women's doubles category.
Despite this setback, Raina and Bhosale are not out of the tournament entirely; they will now shift their focus to the mixed doubles competition to keep their Asian Games journey alive.
Mixed fortunes for Team India
While the tennis news was a disappointment, the 2026 Asian Games has seen a flurry of activity and success for other Indian athletes across various disciplines:
Medal wins and progression
- Kurash: Pincky Balhara secured a medal after a dominant 3-0 victory over Lim Garam in the women's 78kg quarterfinals.
- Cricket: The Indian men's cricket team moved into the semi-finals. Their quarterfinal against Afghanistan was washed out by rain, allowing India to advance due to their higher seeding.
- Archery: Chikitha Taniparthi and Jyothi Surekha Vennam both progressed through the women's compound individual Round of 32. In the men's category, Ganesh Mani Ratnam Thirumuru defeated Sahil Jadhav 149-148 to reach the quarterfinals.
- Shooting: Neeru is currently leading the women's trap qualification. Meanwhile, Manu Bhaker, Esha Singh, and Rahi Sarnobat secured fifth place in the women's 25m pistol team final and have qualified for the individual finals.
Team sport dominance
India enjoyed significant success in team events, recording 3-0 victories over Hong Kong in men's volleyball and over China in the women's squash team event.
Other notable performances
In surfing, Kishore Kumar Anbarasu claimed a victory over China's Ma Wensong, though Sivaraj Babu fell to the Philippines' Alciso Jayuard. In contrast, the sepaktakraw team faced an early exit after losing 1-2 to Japan, finishing at the bottom of Group B.