India’s men’s badminton team secured at least a bronze medal at the Asian Games 2026 in Aichi-Nagoya, Japan, after a commanding 3-0 victory over hosts Japan in the quarterfinals on Tuesday.
The victory took India into the semifinals and guaranteed the team a place on the Asian Games podium. India had also defeated Bangladesh 3-0 in the Round of 16.
Lakshya Sen set the tone for India with a hard-fought comeback victory over Japan’s Kodai Naraoka. Sen lost the opening game 11-21 but responded emphatically, winning the second 21-5 before clinching the decider 21-19.
India’s top men’s doubles pair Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty then strengthened the team’s position with another crucial victory, leaving India one win away from a semifinal berth.
Ayush Shetty completed the clean sweep in the third match, sealing India’s 3-0 victory and confirming their passage into the last four.
The result also continues India’s strong record in the Asian Games men’s team event. The Indian men had won silver at the 2023 Hangzhou Games, while their previous bronze medals came in 1974, 1982 and 1986.
With the medal now assured, India will turn its attention to the semifinal, where the team will look to convert its impressive quarterfinal performance into a place in the gold-medal contest.
