Asian Games: PV Sindhu, Unnati Hooda bow out, India's badminton individual medal hopes end
India's individual badminton medal hopes ended at the Asian Games as PV Sindhu and Unnati Hooda lost their respective quarterfinals.
India's pursuit of individual glory in badminton at the Asian Games 2026 came to a disappointing halt on Sunday. In a major blow to the contingent, both veteran PV Sindhu and rising star Unnati Hooda were eliminated in the women's singles quarterfinals, ending India's chances for an individual badminton medal.
Sindhu's rollercoaster battle with Chen Yu Fei
Two-time Olympic medallist PV Sindhu faced a grueling contest against China's Chen Yu Fei. While Sindhu showed her class by dominating the opening game and taking it comfortably, she was unable to maintain that intensity throughout the match. After a hard-fought second game, the momentum shifted toward the Chinese star, who dominated the deciding set to secure a victory. The final scoreline stood at 21-11, 18-21, 10-21 in favor of Chen.
Unnati Hooda's valiant fight against Akane Yamaguchi
Eighteen-year-old Unnati Hooda also missed out on a podium finish following a spirited performance against Japan's former world No. 1, Akane Yamaguchi. In a high-octane quarterfinal, Unnati fought back after dropping the first game to force a decider. Despite Yamaguchi appearing to struggle with a leg injury, Unnati was unable to capitalize on the opening. Errors at critical moments allowed the Japanese star to edge ahead in a tight finish, with the match ending 16-21, 21-14, 17-21.
With these exits, the men's team bronze remains India's sole medal from the badminton discipline at these Games.
Other notable results from Day 8
While badminton saw a setback, other Indian athletes continued to make waves across various disciplines:
- Boxing: Ankush secured a guaranteed medal for India after defeating Tajikistan's Nekruz Salimov in the men's 80kg quarterfinals.
- Archery: India's recurve teams (men's and women's) moved into the semifinals after defeating the Philippines and Mongolia. The country also advanced in the recurve mixed team and compound team events.
- Athletics: Sreeshankar Murali and David Solomon qualified for the men's long jump final. In the women's 400m hurdles, Vithya Ramraj and Anu Raghavan secured their spots in the final.
- Shooting: Neeru led the women's trap qualification on Day 1, with Kynan Chenai placing 11th in the men's trap qualification.
However, it was not all success, as India faced defeats in the women's fencing team sabre quarterfinals, women's doubles sepaktakraw, and kurash.