Asian Games 2026: Lakshya, Ayush, Srikanth Power India to 3-0 Win Over Bangladesh

India began its men’s badminton team campaign at the Asian Games 2026 on a dominant note, defeating Bangladesh 3-0 in the opening round on Monday to book a place in the quarterfinals.

Lakshya Sen set the tone for India with a comprehensive 21-4, 21-12 victory over Ayman Ibn Jaman in the opening singles match. Sen controlled the contest from the start, giving India a 1-0 lead.

Ayush Shetty then strengthened India’s position by beating Gourab Singha 21-4, 21-13. Shetty was particularly dominant in the opening game and maintained his composure in the second to move India within one win of sealing the tie.

Experienced campaigner Kidambi Srikanth completed the job in the third singles match, overcoming Al Amin Jumar 21-15, 21-9. Srikanth faced greater resistance in the opening game but raised his intensity in the second to secure a straight-games victory.

With India winning all three singles matches, the scheduled doubles matches were not required. The victory sent the Indian men’s team into the quarterfinals, where it is set to face Japan on September 22 at the Ichinomiya City Municipal Gymnasium.

The badminton result was part of a busy day for India at the continental Games. In shooting, Himanshu Dhillon won silver and Rudrankksh Patil took bronze in the men’s 10m air rifle individual final, after the duo and Parth Mane had secured silver in the team event.

In mixed martial arts, Suchika Tariyal secured a bronze medal in the women’s traditional 60kg category after losing her semifinal to Singapore’s Teo Hui Hoon. India’s women’s hockey team also recorded a commanding 17-1 win over Indonesia, while the men’s kabaddi team defeated Japan 49-23.

In other events, Sumit advanced in boxing, India’s women’s table tennis team defeated Pakistan 3-0, and Srihari Nataraj reached the men’s 50m backstroke final. Indian athletes also competed in soft tennis, wushu, sepak takraw and skeet qualification as the country continued its campaign across multiple disciplines.