AICHI-NAGOYA, Japan: India’s men’s badminton team had to settle for bronze at the Asian Games Aichi-Nagoya 2026 after defending champions China ended its gold-medal ambitions in the semifinals on Wednesday.
India, who had stormed into the last four with a commanding victory over hosts Japan, were unable to overcome the formidable Chinese challenge at the Ichinomiya City Municipal Gymnasium, bringing their team campaign to a close.
The defeat denied India an opportunity to better its silver-medal finish at the 2023 Hangzhou Asian Games, where the Indian men’s team had also faced China in the final.
However, the bronze medal ensures India remain among the medal-winning nations in men’s team badminton at the continental showpiece, extending their podium presence from the previous edition.
India’s semifinal challenge began with Lakshya Sen taking on China’s world No. 1 Shi Yu Qi in the opening singles.
Lakshya, who had produced a remarkable comeback against Japan’s Kodai Naraoka in the quarterfinals, faced a stern test against the Chinese star.
Shi Yu Qi prevailed 21-16, 21-18 to give China the opening point and put India under immediate pressure.
The loss was a setback for India, who had relied on Lakshya’s fighting spirit to get their campaign off to a winning start against Japan a day earlier.
India’s journey to the semifinals was marked by a commanding 3-0 victory over Japan in the quarterfinals.
Lakshya Sen produced one of the standout performances of the men’s team competition, recovering from a game down to defeat Kodai Naraoka 11-21, 21-5, 21-19.
The Indian shuttler showed remarkable composure in the deciding game, overturning a 13-19 deficit to clinch the match and give India the early advantage.
Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty then strengthened India’s position with a 21-18, 24-22 victory over Takuro Hoki and Yugo Kobayashi.
Youngster Ayush Shetty completed the sweep, defeating Koki Watanabe 21-10, 21-19 to seal India’s semifinal berth and guarantee a medal.
The victory also marked India’s second successive Asian Games men’s team medal, following the historic silver at Hangzhou in 2023.
India’s bronze-medal finish in Aichi-Nagoya underlines the team’s continued presence among Asia’s leading badminton nations.
While the semifinal defeat will leave the Indian contingent reflecting on the missed opportunity to compete for gold, the team leaves the competition with another Asian Games medal.
The focus will now shift to the individual badminton events, where India’s leading shuttlers will look to extend their medal campaign at Aichi-Nagoya.
