India experienced mixed fortunes on Day 9 of the 2026 Asian Games, marked by a devastating exit for two-time Olympic medalist PV Sindhu and a landmark victory for debutant boxer Ankush Panghal.
In one of the most highly anticipated badminton clashes of the Games, India’s ace shuttler PV Sindhu bowed out in the quarterfinals of the women’s singles event following a fierce three-game struggle against China’s Olympic champion Chen Yufei.
Sindhu started on a dominant note, unleashing sharp drop shots and controlling the pace from the backcourt to seal the opening game 21-11. However, Chen Yufei mounted a strong comeback in the second game, engaging Sindhu in longer rallies to capitalize on unforced errors and force a decider with an 18-21 win.
The deciding game saw Chen take absolute control early on, going into the interval up 11-7. As exhaustion appeared to set in for Sindhu, the Chinese star pressed the advantage to close out the match 21-10.
The setback completed a tough morning for India’s badminton contingent, following the quarterfinal exits of young sensation Unnati Hooda against Akane Yamaguchi and the women’s doubles pair Treesa Jolly and Gayatri Gopichand.
Ankush Panghal Opens India’s Boxing Medal Tally
Providing a major boost to the Indian camp, Commonwealth Games champion Ankush Panghal stormed into the semifinals of the men’s 80kg category, assuring India of its first boxing medal at the 2026 Asian Games.
Making his Asian Games debut, the Haryana boxer put on a dominant show against Tajikistan’s Nekruz Salimov, securing a unanimous 5-0 verdict from the judges. Using his reach and landing crisp straight lefts and right hooks, Ankush kept Salimov at bay throughout three controlled rounds to guarantee himself at least a bronze medal.
Key Track & Field Highlights
- Men’s Long Jump: Murali Sreeshankar cleared 7.84m to qualify second overall for the final, joined by compatriot David Solomon, who landed a 7.62m jump to finish seventh.
- 400m Hurdles: Vithya Ramaraj (Women’s, 55.73s) and Santhosh Kumar Tamilrasan (Men’s, 49.61s) both qualified smoothly for their respective finals.
- Decathlon: Tejaswin Shankar cleared 4.30m in the pole vault to stay in medal contention despite dropping to third position overall after the discus throw.
