The quarterfinal stage has proven a stumbling block for several Indian teams and athletes at the 2026 Asian Games, ending medal hopes just one round short of the semifinals in Nagoya.
## Badminton: Women’s Team Bows Out
India’s women’s badminton team, led by PV Sindhu, lost 3-1 to hosts Japan in the quarterfinals. Sindhu herself took the opening game against Akane Yamaguchi before falling in three sets, in a tie that ultimately went Japan’s way in the doubles rubbers.
## Table Tennis: Women Fall to North Korea
Having beaten Thailand to reach the last eight, India’s women’s table tennis team, featuring Yashaswini Ghorpade and Sreeja Akula, lost 0-3 to North Korea in the quarterfinals, ending a promising run without a medal.
## Wushu: A Tough Draw for Aryan
Wushu competitor Aryan lost his men’s 56kg Sanda quarterfinal 1-2 to Uzbekistan’s Sayadullo Abdurashitov, a result that contrasted sharply with teammate Roshibina Devi’s run to the semifinals and guaranteed medal in the women’s draw.
## Why the Quarterfinal Round Is So Unforgiving
In single-elimination team and combat sports formats, a quarterfinal loss typically means the end of a medal campaign entirely, unlike round-robin formats where late-stage results can still be salvaged. That makes quarterfinal exits particularly painful for athletes and teams who have already invested significant effort reaching that stage.
## Comparing India’s Near-Misses
While these results represent full eliminations, they differ from India’s fourth-place shooting finishes, which came in the medal round itself rather than the round before it. For a look at those closer calls, see our dedicated feature on India’s fourth-place finishes at these Games, and for the semifinal picture, our companion piece on who is still fighting for medals in Nagoya.
## What Comes Next
With individual events in badminton, table tennis and wushu still ongoing, several of these athletes have further opportunities to bounce back before the Games conclude on October 4.