When will PV Sindhu next play at Asian Games 2026?
PV Sindhu lost to Akane Yamaguchi in the women’s team badminton quarter-final.
India’s campaign for a women’s team badminton medal at the Asian Games 2026 ended in disappointment on Tuesday as PV Sindhu and her teammates went down 1-3 to hosts Japan in the quarter-finals. Sindhu opened the tie against old rival Akane Yamaguchi and started brightly, taking the first game 23-21.
But Yamaguchi, a three-time world champion, found her rhythm in the second game and dragged Sindhu into long rallies, winning it 21-18 to level the contest. The Japanese shuttler then closed out the decider 21-11, securing a crucial first point for her side.
Things did not get easier for India. Teenager Unnati Hooda lost in straight games to Tomoka Miyazaki, 16-21, 18-21, putting Japan 2-0 ahead.
Related: India’s 15 biggest medal contenders at Asian Games 2026
India’s hopes were briefly revived by World Championships bronze medallists Treesa Jolly and Gayatri Gopichand, who beat Yuki Fukushima and Mayu Matsumoto 21-17, 21-16 to pull one match back for their side.
However, the fightback stalled when young Tanvi Sharma ran into former world champion Nozomi Okuhara, who won comfortably 21-12, 21-10 to seal a 3-1 victory for Japan and end India’s medal hopes in the women’s team event.
India have won just two medals in this category at the Asian Games so far, a bronze in New Delhi in 1982 and another in Incheon in 2014.
When will PV Sindhu play her next match at the Asian Games?
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With the team event over, attention now turns to the individual women’s singles competition, where Sindhu will feature again. The women’s singles event is set to run as follows:
- September 25, 6:00 AM: Round of 64
- September 26, 6:00 AM: Round of 32
- September 26, 12:30 PM: Pre-quarterfinal
- September 27, 9:30 AM: Quarter-final
- September 28, 9:30 AM: Semi-final
- September 29, 7:30 AM onwards: Final
Related: Asian Games 2026 – India cruise past Kazakhstan to enter women’s team event quarter-finals
Sindhu, ranked world No. 10 as of late August 2026, will be aiming to add to her individual Asian Games medal tally after winning silver in the women’s singles at the 2018 Jakarta edition.
She has already had a strong outing this season, winning the Japan Open title in July 2026 by beating Yamaguchi in straight games, 21-17, 21-17.
Meanwhile, the Indian men’s badminton team will face Japan in the quarter-final, with Lakshya Sen, Ayush Shetty, Chirag Shetty and Satwiksairaj Rankireddy among those tasked with keeping India’s medal hopes alive in Nagoya.
How did the Indian women’s badminton team perform at the Asian Games 2026 quarterfinals?
India lost 1-3 to hosts Japan on September 22, 2026. Sindhu, Unnati Hooda, and Tanvi Sharma all lost their singles matches; only Treesa Jolly and Gayatri Gopichand won in doubles.
When will PV Sindhu next play at Asian Games 2026?
Sindhu will feature in the individual women’s singles event, starting September 25 with the Round of 64 running through the final on September 29, subject to her qualification for the draw.
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