Two-time medallist overcomes Chinese Taipei’s Chiu Pin-chian 21-19, 21-14; Unnati Hooda and Ayush Shetty also advance
Ichinomiya, Sept 2026 : India’s star shuttler PV Sindhu advanced to the women’s singles round of 16 at the Asian Games 2026 with a convincing 21-19, 21-14 victory over Chinese Taipei’s Chiu Pin-chian at the Ichinomiya City Municipal Gymnasium on Saturday.
The two-time Asian Games medallist was made to work hard in the opening game after Pin-chian held a slender 11-10 advantage at the interval. Sindhu responded strongly after the break, gradually taking control of the rallies and putting pressure on her opponent.
The Indian missed out on converting two game points but remained composed to close out the opener on her third opportunity, securing a 21-19 win and taking a crucial 1-0 lead.
Sindhu looked increasingly comfortable in the second game and quickly established control. She went into the interval with a 11-7 lead and maintained the momentum after the restart. The Indian did not allow Pin-chian to mount a sustained comeback and sealed the game 21-14 to book her place in the last 16.
Sindhu will next face Japan’s Tomoka Miyazaki in the round of 16 later on Saturday. The upcoming contest will be significant for the Indian, with the singles event following India’s earlier defeat to Japan in the women’s team quarterfinals.
Sindhu is also seeking another Asian Games medal after missing the podium at the Hangzhou edition. She was eliminated in the women’s singles quarterfinals at the 2022 Asian Games, making this campaign another opportunity to add to her collection of Asiad medals.
Earlier in the day, young Indian shuttler Unnati Hooda also progressed to the round of 16 after defeating Malaysia’s Wong Ling Ching 21-14, 20-22, 21-9. Hooda survived a second-game fightback before producing a strong finish in the decider.
Hooda will meet Indonesia’s Putri Kusuma Wardani in the next round. With singles players scheduled to compete twice on the same day, managing recovery and maintaining intensity will be crucial.
In the men’s singles, Ayush Shetty produced a dominant display, defeating Kazakhstan’s Makhsut Tajibullayev 21-7, 21-7. Shetty will face Chinese Taipei’s Chou Tien Chen in the round of 16 in a considerably tougher test.
Lakshya Sen, however, was unable to progress after suffering a three-game defeat to Singapore’s Loh Kean Yew. Sen won the second game 21-15 but lost the opening game 12-21 before going down 14-21 in the decider.
With Sindhu, Hooda and Shetty advancing, India’s singles challenge remains active as the competition enters the knockout stages.
