Lakshya Sen Shines as India Storm Into Asian Games Badminton Quarterfinals, Set Up Japan Clash

Nagoya, September 21: The Indian men's badminton team produced a dominant performance on the court after sweeping aside Bangladesh 3-0 to advance to the quarterfinals of the Asian Games 2026. Lakshya Sen, Ayush Shetty and Kidambi Srikanth all came out with straight-sets wins.

India will now face hosts Japan in the last-eight stage on Tuesday. The Indian women's team will also take on Japan in their quarterfinal.

Lakshya opened India's campaign against Ibn Ayman Jaman and needed less than 30 minutes to secure a comfortable 21-4, 21-12 victory. Ayush Shetty followed with another dominant display, defeating Gourab Singh 21-4, 21-13 in 25 minutes.

Srikanth then sealed India's passage into the quarterfinals with a 21-15, 21-9 win over Jumar Al Amin in just 23 minutes, ensuring the doubles matches were not required.
Reflecting on his opening match, Lakshya said the contest was useful in helping him adapt to the conditions despite the one-sided scoreline.

"It was important for me to get to know the conditions. Yeah, on paper it was not a very tough match, but the first match can be very tricky. So I just came in with the approach to just get a good start and then find my rhythm and adjust to the court. Once I knew I was winning the match, it was more about getting to know the court better," he said.

Lakshya has endured an inconsistent run over the past year, with injuries affecting his campaign. However, the Indian shuttler said he is now feeling positive and is eager to return to his best level.

"There were a few good tournaments at the start of the year, and I just want to play to that level again. There were some concerns with injuries and stuff midway through this year, but I got back from it, and now I'm looking forward to competing at the highest level. "The training has been good, and I'm in a very good mindset and really fresh," he said.

After the match, Lakshya's Bangladesh opponent also asked him for a selfie. The Indian star said the moment highlighted the camaraderie among players beyond competition.

"I mean, we are neighbours, so it's good to see them do so well and participate in this tournament. The friendship beyond the court is amazing, ng and it's always good to meet players, get a photo with them, and when it's a healthy rivalry, it's always good," he said.