Lakshya Sen produced a stirring comeback as India’s men’s badminton team swept hosts Japan 3-0 in the quarterfinals of the team event at the 2026 Asian Games in Aichi-Nagoya on Tuesday. The emphatic victory sent India into the semifinals and guaranteed the side at least a bronze medal — their second successive podium finish in the event after silver at Hangzhou 2023.
India will now face defending champions China in the semifinals.
Lakshya’s Dramatic Comeback
In the opening singles rubber, world No. 14 Lakshya Sen faced a stern test against Japan’s world No. 7 and 2026 World Championships silver medallist Kodai Naraoka. After losing the first game 11-21, Sen responded emphatically, racing to a 19-4 lead and closing out the second game 21-5.
The decider was a tense battle. Naraoka led 19-13 at one stage, but Sen reeled off eight consecutive points to level at 19-19 and seal a hard-fought 11-21, 21-5, 21-19 victory. The win gave India a crucial 1-0 lead and set the tone for the rest of the tie.
Satwik-Chirag Extend the Lead
Reigning Asian Games men’s doubles champions Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty then took the court against former world champions Takuro Hoki and Yugo Kobayashi. The Indian pair recovered from an early deficit to win the opening game 21-18 and held their nerve in a tight second game, converting their fourth match point to prevail 21-18, 24-22. India led 2-0.
Ayush Shetty Seals the Sweep
Young sensation Ayush Shetty completed the clean sweep with a composed performance against world No. 16 Koki Watanabe. Shetty raced to a strong start and closed out the first game 21-10 before wrapping up the second 21-19 to secure a 21-10, 21-19 victory and confirm India’s place in the last four.
Historic Back-to-Back Medals
The result marks the first time in 40 years that India’s men’s badminton team has secured back-to-back medals at the Asian Games. India had begun their campaign with a 3-0 win over Bangladesh in the round of 16.
While the men’s team advanced, the Indian women’s team exited in the quarterfinals after a 1-3 defeat to Japan.
India’s progress keeps their gold-medal hopes alive as they prepare for a challenging semifinal clash against powerhouse China. With Lakshya rediscovering his fighting spirit and the doubles pair in strong form, the Indian contingent will look to build on this momentum in the next stage.