India’s women’s badminton team has entered the Asian Games quarter-finals after a convincing 3-0 win over Kazakhstan in the Round of 16. PV Sindhu, Unnati Hooda and Tanvi Sharma all won their singles matches in straight games.
India will now face Japan in the quarter-finals, with a place in the semi-finals and a guaranteed medal at stake.
India Makes A Fast Start
India did not face much trouble against Kazakhstan. PV Sindhu opened the tie with a comfortable win over Kamila Smagulova.
The two-time Olympic medallist won 21-7, 21-9 in just 24 minutes. Sindhu controlled the match from the beginning and gave India an early 1-0 lead.
Unnati Hooda then stepped onto the court and kept the momentum going. She defeated Alissa Kuleshova 21-7, 21-10 in 22 minutes.
With India leading 2-0, only one more win was needed to finish the tie.
Tanvi Sharma Seals The Tie
Tanvi Sharma delivered the final win for India against Diana Namenova.
The World Junior Championships silver medallist looked comfortable throughout the contest. She won 21-5, 21-10 in only 19 minutes.
The straight-games victory completed India’s 3-0 sweep and sent the women’s team into the quarter-finals.
For Tanvi, the win also added another important moment to her growing international career. She showed little trouble handling the pressure with India needing one final victory to close the tie.
Japan Now Stands In India’s Way
India’s next opponent will be Japan, which received a first-round bye.
The quarter-final could bring some difficult singles matches. Sindhu could potentially face Akane Yamaguchi, while Unnati Hooda may meet Tomoka Miyazaki.
The doubles contest could also become important. Treesa Jolly and Gayatri Gopichand could come up against Japan’s strong combinations, including Yuki Fukushima and Mayu Matsumoto or Kie Nakanishi and Suzu Iwana.
The exact match-ups will depend on the tie-ups, but the Japanese challenge is expected to be much tougher than India’s Round of 16 contest.
A Medal Is Now Within Reach
The quarter-final carries extra importance for India because a victory would take the team into the semi-finals and secure a medal.
India’s women have won only one Asian Games team medal so far. That came at the 2014 Incheon Games, when the team claimed bronze.
The women’s team had a difficult outing in the previous edition. In 2023, India reached the quarter-finals but lost 0-3 to Thailand.
This time, the team has another opportunity to go further.
Men’s Team Begins Its Campaign
The Indian men’s badminton team will also begin its campaign in the Round of 16. The reigning silver medallists are scheduled to face Bangladesh.
India won its first Asian Games badminton gold in Hangzhou through Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty. HS Prannoy also won bronze in the men’s singles.
A strong run this time could again bring India into the medal picture. A possible quarter-final against Japan could produce some major matches, including Lakshya Sen against Kodai Naraoka and Ayush Shetty against Yushi Tanaka.
Satwik and Chirag could also face Japan’s Hiroki Okamura and Takuro Hoki, depending on the final tie-ups.
For now, India’s women have done their part. The 3-0 win over Kazakhstan has taken them into the quarter-finals, where Japan will provide the next major test.
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