India, Sep 26 : India’s badminton campaign at the 2026 Asian Games suffered a major setback on September 25 after defending men’s doubles champions Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty were knocked out in the opening round in Aichi-Nagoya.
The Indian pair, who had entered the tournament as one of the leading contenders in the men’s doubles draw, lost to Thailand’s Pakkapon Teeraratsakul and Peeratchai Sukphun 21-12, 19-21, 14-21. The defeat came after the Indians had taken control of the contest by comfortably winning the first game.
Satwik and Chirag began strongly and established an early advantage in the opening game. Their attacking play and control at the net helped them secure a nine-point victory, putting them within reach of a second-round place.
The Thai pair, however, responded effectively in the second game. Teeraratsakul and Sukphun remained competitive through the middle stages before edging the Indians 21-19 to force a deciding game.
The third game proved decisive. Thailand maintained its momentum and built a lead that India could not overturn, eventually completing the comeback with a 21-14 win.
The result ended India’s hopes of retaining the men’s doubles title through the reigning champions. Satwik and Chirag had won the gold medal at the previous Asian Games in Hangzhou, making their early elimination particularly notable in the Indian campaign.
The loss also came on a day when India was collecting medals in several other sports. Shooting and athletics delivered multiple podium finishes, while table tennis added another medal to the country’s tally.
Despite the setback in men’s doubles, India continued to have representation in other badminton events.
Tanisha Crasto and Dhruv Kapila progressed in mixed doubles, while Treesa Jolly and Gayatri Gopichand advanced in the women’s doubles competition. Their progress kept India’s hopes alive in other sections of the badminton draw.
The early exit of Satwik and Chirag also highlighted the unpredictable nature of knockout competition. The Indians had the advantage after the opening game but could not convert it into a straight-game victory.
For the Thai combination, the result represented an important win against one of the tournament’s established pairs. Their ability to recover after losing the first game ultimately changed the direction of the match.
The Indian badminton contingent still had several leading players scheduled for action on September 26. PV Sindhu, Lakshya Sen and Unnati Hooda were among those listed for singles matches, while Treesa Jolly and Gayatri Gopichand were scheduled to continue their women’s doubles campaign.
Sindhu was set to face Chinese Taipei’s Chiu Pin Chian, while Lakshya Sen was scheduled to meet Singapore’s Loh Kean Yew. The matches offered India further opportunities to progress in the singles competitions.
The focus consequently shifted from the defending men’s doubles champions to the remaining Indian players. With several rounds still to be played in singles and doubles, India’s badminton campaign remained active despite the loss of its defending champions.
The defeat also added a contrasting result to an otherwise productive September 25 for India. The country had won six medals during the day, including a shooting gold and three athletics medals.
For Satwik and Chirag, however, the Asian Games campaign ended much earlier than expected. Their first-round loss meant that the men’s doubles title would have a new champion in Aichi-Nagoya.
India will now look to its remaining badminton players to continue the challenge as the competition moves into the knockout stages.