The fourth day of the 20th Asian Games underway in Nagoya, Japan, brought contrasting fortunes for the Indian contingent across key sporting arenas. Precision shooting delivered strong cheer as young marksmen secured passage into the medal round of the 10m air rifle mixed team competition. However, on the badminton court, India faced a setback in the women's team event when marquee shuttler PV Sindhu lost a grueling encounter that stretched across three demanding games. With six medals in the overall tally, India entered the day targeting its maiden gold medal of the competition, with hopes riding high across shooting finals and the women's cricket title clash.
Rifle Shooters Parth and Elavenil Deliver in Qualification
At the shooting range, the Indian pairing of Parth Mane and Elavenil Valarivan showcased consistency under tournament pressure. Competing in the qualification round of the 10m air rifle mixed team event, the duo fired accurately across series to register a cumulative score of 634.6 points. That resilient effort placed the Indian team second overall, comfortably sealing their berth in the final medal-deciding contest. China led the field in commanding fashion, producing a world record qualification mark of 638.9 points to top the preliminary standings.
Korea captured the third qualification slot by compiling an aggregate of 633.2 points. The race for the fourth and final advancement berth came down to a razor-thin margin between Vietnam and host nation Japan. Vietnam showed composure in the closing shots to edge out Japan by a mere 0.3 points, claiming the last available spot in the final and eliminating the home team in dramatic fashion from medal contention.
Sindhu Surrenders Early Advantage Against Yamaguchi
The women's badminton team fixture witnessed an intense duel between two seasoned rivals, PV Sindhu and Japan's Akane Yamaguchi. The opening game demonstrated high-intensity rallies, with Sindhu attacking decisively at critical junctures to claim a hard-fought 23-21 win. Taking the first game handed the Indian star early momentum and put Yamaguchi under noticeable pressure on her home court.
Yamaguchi responded with tactical discipline in the second game, lifting the pace and pinning Sindhu to the backline. Capitalizing on aggressive net play and sharp smashes, the Japanese player leveled the contest by capturing the second game 21-18. Entering the decisive third game, Yamaguchi maintained relentless pressure, while Sindhu struggled to sustain the long exchanges. Dominating the court coverage, Yamaguchi pulled away smoothly to wrap up the decider 21-11, securing the match victory for Japan.
Medal Tally Standing and Campaign Overview
Following a productive outing on Monday where Indian athletes secured 4 medals, the nation lifted its aggregate count to 6 medals, positioning India at 12th place in the overall standings. The bulk of the haul has come through shooting events, yielding four silver medals and one bronze medal.
The contingent also celebrated a historic breakthrough in mixed martial arts. Suchika Tariyal clinched a bronze medal, marking the country's first-ever podium finish in mixed martial arts at the Asian Games. The focus on Tuesday, September 22, remains locked on securing India's first gold medal of the Nagoya Games, with contenders stepping up in medal rounds across multiple disciplines, highlighted by the women's cricket gold medal fixture.
