India beat Japan 2-1 in women's squash team event
Tanvi Khanna seals a thrilling 2-1 victory against Japan in the women's squash team event at the 2026 Asian Games.
The Indian women's squash team secured a hard-fought 2-1 victory over Japan at the 2026 Asian Games in Aichi-Nagoya on Monday. In a high-stakes encounter, Tanvi Khanna emerged as the hero, clinching the deciding match to ensure India's dominance in the tie.
Dramatic squash showdown in Japan
The tie began with a dominant display from veteran Joshana Chinappa. She gave India a commanding early lead by defeating Japan's Erisa Sano with a convincing scoreline of 11-1, 11-8.
However, the momentum shifted during the second match. Anahat Singh faced Satomi Watanabe in a grueling five-game battle. While Anahat initially stormed back to lead 2-1 in games after winning the second and third sets, Watanabe fought back to force a decider. Ultimately, Watanabe claimed the match 11-8, 8-11, 7-11, 11-8, 11-9, leveling the tie at 1-1.
With the pressure mounting, Tanvi Khanna stepped up in the final match against Akari Midorikawa. In a tense battle that went the distance, Khanna secured her victory with scores of 12-10, 11-9, 4-11, and 12-10, sealing the 2-1 win for India. This victory follows India's previous successful outing where they defeated China 2-1.
Medal haul: Esha Singh and Lovlina Borgohain shine
It was a productive day for the Indian contingent across various disciplines. In shooting, Esha Singh secured a silver medal in the women's 25m pistol individual final. After an intense series of shoot-offs, Esha finished with 38 points, just behind China's Xiao Jiaruixian, who took the gold.
In combat sports, the medal tally continued to grow:
- Pincky Balhara: Secured a bronze medal in women's kurash after a semifinal loss to South Korea's Mo Sumin.
- Lovlina Borgohain: Confirmed her medal status in boxing after defeating South Korea's Seong Suyeon in the women's 75kg quarterfinals.
Archery and Cricket updates
In archery, Chikitha Taniparthi showed impressive form in the women's compound individual round of 16, defeating Chinese Taipei's Chen Yi-Hsuan to advance to the quarterfinals. Meanwhile, Jyothi Surekha Vennam's run ended in the round of 16 against South Korea's Kang Yeonseo.
In cricket, the Indian men's team saw a bit of bad luck as their quarterfinal clash against Afghanistan was abandoned due to rain. However, India will progress to the semifinals thanks to their higher seeding.
Other notable results
The Indian men's squash team also delivered a clinical performance, recording a 3-0 sweep over China in their pool match. In volleyball, the men's team secured a straight-sets 3-0 victory over Hong Kong. In surfing, while Sivaraj Babu fell short against the Philippines, Kishore Kumar Anbarasu tasted success by defeating China's Ma Wensong.