India’s men’s and women’s badminton teams have been handed challenging routes at the Asian Games 2026. The draws for the team events were revealed on Saturday, September 19, with both competitions set to follow a straight knockout format. The women’s team will begin its campaign against Kazakhstan on Sunday, September 20, while the men’s team, silver medallists at the previous edition, will take on Bangladesh on Monday, September 21.A win in either tie would set up a potential quarterfinal against Japan, which has received a first-round bye.
India women face Kazakhstan, Japan potentially next
The Indian women’s team will open its campaign against Kazakhstan in the Round of 16 on Sunday. If India progresses, it will face host nation Japan in the quarterfinals. A possible India-Japan tie could feature several high-profile matchups, including PV Sindhu against Akane Yamaguchi and Unnati Hooda against Tomoka Miyazaki.Top-seeded China is placed on the opposite side of the women’s draw, meaning India can only meet them in the final if both teams advance that far.
Men’s team begins against Bangladesh
India’s men’s team, which won silver at the previous Asian Games, will start its campaign against Bangladesh on Monday, September 21. A victory would set up a quarterfinal against Japan, with potential clashes including Lakshya Sen against Kodai Naraoka, Ayush Shetty against Yushi Tanaka, and the Indian doubles pairing of Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty against Takuro Hoki and Hiroki Okamura.The men’s draw presents a demanding route for India, with Japan, China and South Korea placed in the same half. India could therefore face one of those teams as early as the semifinals, depending on how the knockout rounds unfold.
Asian Games badminton schedule
Badminton competition at the Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games will run from September 20 to 29 at the Ichinomiya City Municipal Gymnasium. The tournament is divided between team championships and individual events.
| Date | Event |
|---|---|
| September 20 | Team events: Round of 16; India women vs Kazakhstan |
| September 21 | Team events: Round of 16; India men vs Bangladesh; quarterfinals |
| September 22 | Team events: Semifinals |
| September 24 | Team events: Gold medal matches |
| September 25 | Individual events: Preliminary rounds |
| September 26 | Individual events: Round of 32 and Round of 16 |
| September 27 | Individual events: Quarterfinals |
| September 28 | Individual events: Semifinals |
| September 29 | Individual events: Gold medal matches |
Matches are scheduled to begin at 6:00 AM IST and 7:30 AM IST in selected sessions, corresponding to 9:30 AM and 11:00 AM local time in Japan. The women’s team gold medal match is scheduled for 6:00 AM IST on September 24, while the men’s final is listed for 12:30 PM IST.
India Badminton Squad
- Men’s team: Lakshya Sen, Ayush Shetty, HS Prannoy, Kidambi Srikanth, Tharun Mannepalli, Satwiksairaj Rankireddy, Chirag Shetty, Hariharan Amsakarunan, MR Arjun, Dhruv Kapila
- Women’s team: PV Sindhu, Unnati Hooda, Devika Sihag, Tanvi Sharma, Isharani Baruah, Treesa Jolly, Gayatri Gopichand Pullela, Kavipriya Selvam, Simran Singhi, Tanisha Crasto