Asian Games 2026 LIVE Day 9: PV Sindhu battles hard to assure India's medal in badminton

PV Sindhu’s Asian Games campaign comes to an end as she loses the deciding game 10-21 to Chen Yufei. After winning the opening game, Sindhu could not regain control as the Chinese shuttler completed the comeback and ended her medal hopes.

PV Sindhu trails Chen Yufei 7-11 at the midgame break in the deciding game. The Chinese shuttler has taken control after the interval, leaving Sindhu with a four point deficit to overcome.

Esha stands is placed in the sixth position at the end of the Women's 25m Pistol Qualification - Precision Stage, with 290 points. Rahi Sarnabot stands 15th with 287 points, same as Manu Bhaker, who is 16th. India also stand third in the team precision list.

Women's 25m Pistol Qualification - Rapid Fire Stage will take place tomorrow, following which the final list will be decided.

It was a thrilling contest as both shuttlers battled hard after the break, with neither willing to give an inch. The intensity of the contest was clear from the score, with the two level at 12-12.

Chen Yufei takes the second game 21-18 to level the women’s singles quarterfinal against PV Sindhu. Sindhu had a strong start to the game but the Chinese shuttler fought back to force a decider.

Harjinder Kaur fails to lift 97kg in her second attempt, and will try for the same weight in her third and final try in snatch category.

PV Sindhu leads Chen Yufei 11-10 in the second game of their women’s singles quarterfinal. The Chinese shuttler is putting up a much stronger fight after Sindhu’s dominant opening game, but the Indian still has a slender advantage.

Harjinder Kaur nails the lift of 94kg in her first attempt in snatch in the women's 69kg final and will go for 95kg in her next attempt.

PV Sindhu has dominated the opening game against Chen Yufei, cruising to a 21-11 win in the women’s singles quarterfinal. The Indian looked in control from the start and takes a 1-0 lead in the match.

Unnati Hooda’s impressive fight comes to an end as she loses the deciding game 17-21 against Akane Yamaguchi. The Indian battled hard through the final game but looked exhausted towards the end as the Japanese star sealed her place in the semifinals.

India's Murali Sreeshankar has qualified for the long jump final with a jump of 7.84m at the Mizuho Park Athletic Stadium in Nagoya. A silver medallist at the previous edition in Hangzhou, Sreeshankar ended second in the field to finish inside the top-12 and make the final. The other Indian in the fray, David Solomon, also entered the medal round, finishing seventh with a leap of 7.62m. The automatic qualification mark was set at 8m and Uzbekistan's Anvarov Anvar was the only athlete to meet the criterion. The final will be contested on Monday.

PV Sindhu has made a strong start in her women’s singles quarterfinal against China’s Chen Yufei. The Indian currently leads 5-1 in the opening game.

Ankush Panghal beats Tajikistan's Salimov Nekruz in 80kg category with a unanimous 5-0 verdict to cruise into the semi-final and assure a medal.

PV Sindhu will now take on 2021 Tokyo Olympics champion Chen Yufei in a battle for semis which will also ensure a medal. Sindhu has a 7-9 record against the Chinese & has also beaten Chen once this year.

PV Sindhu's history at the continental Games tells a story of constant evolution. A second-round exit as a teenager at Incheon 2014, a historic silver medal at Jakarta 2018 and a quarter-final finish at Hangzhou 2023. Sindhu now appears a player transformed, possessing a top physical level and the tactical wisdom needed to stand on the podium again. (Read Full Story Here)

Unnati Hooda has bounced back in style, winning the second game 21-14 against Akane Yamaguchi. The Indian has levelled the women’s singles quarterfinal and will now battle it out in the deciding game for a place in the semifinals.

Sreeshankar Murali has moved up to 7.84m with his second attempt in the men’s long jump qualification, while David Solomon improves to 7.62m. Sreeshankar is currently second overall, with David in seventh.

Unnati Hooda has lost the opening game 16-21 against Japan’s Akane Yamaguchi in the women’s singles quarterfinal. The Indian now needs to bounce back strongly in the second game to keep her semifinal hopes alive.

Vithya Ramaraj finishes second in her women’s 400m hurdles heat with a season’s best 55.73 seconds, behind Kazakhstan’s Adelina Zems, who set a personal best. The Indian comfortably books her place in the final.

Unnati Hooda has made a confident start against Japan’s Akane Yamaguchi in the women’s singles quarterfinal. The Indian currently trails 4-6 in the opening game but has looked sharp in the early exchanges.

A tough outing in the discus throw sees Tejaswin Shankar finish with 36.77m, picking up 599 points. He now has 5869 points overall and has slipped to third place. China’s Chen Xinghua leads with 5919, while Japan’s Yuma Maruyama is second on 5914. The pole vault and javelin are next for Tejaswin.

Santhosh Kumar Tamilrasan finishes second in Heat 1 of the men’s 400m hurdles, clocking 49.61 seconds to secure his place in the final. A strong run from the Indian as he keeps his medal hopes alive.

Three years ago, pistol shooter Esha Singh returned from the Hangzhou Asian Games with four medals —1 gold, 3 silver — and a soaring reputation. Then 18 and at the start of what would shape into a prolific senior career, the dual-discipline shooter (10m, 25m) was remarkably equanimous in dealing with sudden fame. Standing outside Fuyang Yinhu Sports Centre in Hangzhou on a humid September afternoon shortly after claiming her first Asiad medal, Esha credited God, her father and her coach for bringing her that far. The real journey, however, was just beginning to unfold. (Read Full Story HERE)

Esha Singh has put together a solid showing in the women’s 25m pistol qualification, firing 290-9x after three precision rounds. She will now look to build on the score as the qualification stage progresses.

Tejaswin Shankar finishes third in his 110m hurdles heat with a time of 14.33 seconds, earning 932 points. Chen Xinghua clocks 14.01s for 973 points, while Yuma Maruyama finishes in 14.00s for 975 points.

Tejaswin remains on top of the overall standings with 5270 points, followed by Chen on 5223 and Maruyama on 5163.