India endured a disappointing start in the mixed doubles competition at the Badminton Asia Championships 2026 with both their pairs bowing out in the opening round here on Tuesday.
Rohan Kapoor and Gadde Ruthvika Shivani went down fighting against Malaysia’s eighth seeds Goh Soon Huat and Lai Shevon Jemie 13-21 19-21 in a 34-minute contest at the Ningbo Olympic Centre. The Indian duo struggled to find rhythm early on, conceding the first game comfortably, but showed signs of resistance in the second before the experienced Malaysian combination shut the door in straight games.
In another match, Ashith Surya and Amrutha Pramuthesh also failed to cross the opening hurdle, losing 16-21 15-21 to Malaysia’s Wong Tien Ci and Lim Chiew Sien in 31 minutes. The Indian pair fought hard but were unable to sustain pressure at crucial junctures against their steady opponents.
India will look for a turnaround later in the day when Dhruv Kapila and Tanisha Crasto take on Thailand's P. Horbanluekit and Benyapa Aimsaard in their opening round fixture. The focus will shift to singles competition on Wednesday with India's top stars set to begin their campaigns.
Lakshya Sen, fresh from a runner-up finish at the All England Championships, will spearhead the men’s singles challenge. The country’s top-ranked shuttler faces a tricky opening match against Hong Kong’s Lee Cheuk Yiu, against whom the Indian has a 2-3 record.
In women’s singles, double Olympic medallist PV Sindhu returns to action after a disrupted European leg and will open her campaign against Malaysia’s Wong Ling Ching.
Apart from Sen and Sindhu, India will also have Kidambi Srikanth, HS Prannoy and Ayush Shetty in men’s singles, while Tanvi Sharma, Unnati Hooda and Malvika Bansod will feature in the women’s draw, with all of them slated to begin their campaigns on Wednesday.
Also read: Satwik-Chirag pull out of Badminton Asia C’ships
Follow us
