Badminton team draws revealed: Indian projected to face Japan in quarter-finals, Korea in semis
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The Indian men’s team won bronze in Hangzhou 2022
India’s men’s and women’s badminton teams have been handed tough draws in the team event at Asian Games 2026. The draws for the event, which will be played in a straight knockout format, was held on Saturday (September 19).
While the women’s team will start their campaign against Kazakhstan on September 20 (Sunday), the men will begin against Bangladesh a day later. If they advance, both teams could potentially meet Japan in the quarter-finals.
Japan are seeded second in the women’s draw and third in the men’s team event.
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Women’s team draw
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India will begin its campaign against Kazakhstan in the Round of 16. If India wins, it will face second seeded Japan in the quarter-finals, with Japan receiving a bye into the last eight.
On the other side of this half, third/fourth seeds Korea will face the winner of Hong Kong and Malaysia in the quarters. If India reaches the semi-finals, it could therefore face Korea, Hong Kong or Malaysia.
The other half of the women’s draw features top seeds China, along with Thailand, third/fourth seeds Chinese Taipei, Indonesia and Mongolia.
India’s women’s team reached the quarter-finals in the previous Asian Games, where they lost 0-3 to Thailand. They will look to improve on that result and go further in the competition this time.
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Men’s team draw
India’s men’s team will begin against Bangladesh in the Round of 16. A win would set up a quarter-final against the winner of the Japan and Kazakhstan tie, with Japan seeded third/fourth.
In the other round of 16 clash in this half, Korea will face Hong Kong, with the winner taking on second-seed China in the last eight round. The winner could then face India in the semi-finals.
Top seeds Indonesia are placed in the other half of the men’s draw, alongside Malaysia, Mongolia, third/fourth seeds Chinese Taipei, Thailand and Macau China.
India’s men’s team won silver medal in the previous Asian Games in Hangzhou, while the Indian badminton contingent won one gold, one silver and one bronze medal overall.
With Japan potentially awaiting both Indian teams in the quarter-finals, the draws have set up some difficult matches on the road to the medals at Aichi-Nagoya 2026.
Who will India men’s team face in the opening round of the team event at Asian Games 2026?
The Indian men’s team will start their campaign against Bangladesh on September 21.
Who will India women’s team face in the opening round of the team event at Asian Games 2026?
The Indian women’s team will face Kazakhstan in the first round of the team’s event on September 20.
What is the Indian men’s team’s projected path to the final at Asian Games 2026?
The men’s team will face Bangladesh in the round of 16 and potentially Japan in the quarters. Should they overcome the Japanese challenge, India are projected to face either South Korea or China in the semi-finals and then top seed Indonesia in the final.
What is the Indian women’s team’s projected path to the final at Asian Games 2026?
The Indian women’s team will start off against Kazakhstan and then face Japan in the quarter-finals. If they are able to upset the second seed, India could potentially line-up against South Korea or Malaysia in the semis and then top seed China in the gold medal match.
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