The second day of action at the continental games brought an intense mix of podium triumphs, historic breakthroughs, and painful near misses for the Indian contingent. While the quest for an opening gold medal continues, notable accomplishments on the shooting ranges and inside the mixed martial arts arena took India's overall tally to six medals, comprising four silver and two bronze. Simultaneously, Indian squads across hockey, badminton, table tennis, and kabaddi delivered authoritative performances, sweeping past their opposition to march deeper into the tournament.
Heartbreak in Mixed Martial Arts Over a 700 Gram Margin
Mixed martial arts witnessed India secure its inaugural podium finish, though the achievement was tempered by an agonising technical technicality. Competing in the semifinals, Suchika Tariyal went toe to toe against Singapore's Hui Hoon Teo, with the contest ending in a dead heat. Under sport regulations, a drawn encounter is resolved through official weigh-in data, giving advancement privileges to the lighter competitor.
During the morning weigh-in, Tariyal had tipped the scales just 700 grams heavier than Teo. That fractional difference proved decisive, denying the Indian fighter a spot in the gold medal bout and leaving her with the bronze medal. While the result etched her name in the history books as the country's first MMA medalist, the narrow elimination cast a bittersweet tone over the milestone.
Shooters Secure Three Podiums as China Sets World Record
The shooting contingent continued to supply the bulk of silverware, capturing two silvers and one bronze during the day's events. Young competitors Himanshu Dhillon and Rudrankksh Patil demonstrated nerve in a gripping shootout, locking in individual silver and bronze medals respectively. Earlier in the session, the pair had joined forces with teenage shooter Parth Mane to claim the team silver medal.
These additions brought the shooting team's total to five medals, featuring four silvers and one bronze. However, the top step of the podium remained elusive as China mounted an exceptional exhibition of marksmanship. Led by world number one Sheng Lihao, alongside teammates Changhong Zhang and Sihan Ma, the Chinese squad aggregated 1899 points to clinch gold. In doing so, they erased their own world record of 1898.4 points set the previous year in Cairo.
Dominant Displays in Women's Hockey and Badminton
On the hockey turf, the Indian women's team mounted an unrelenting offensive against Indonesia, cruising to an emphatic 17-1 triumph. The commanding outcome underlined their tournament ambitions, particularly with a direct qualification quota for the 2028 Olympic Games awaiting the eventual gold medal winners.
The badminton arena witnessed equal precision as the Indian men's squad swept Bangladesh 3-0 to secure a quarterfinal berth. The singles trio of Lakshya Sen, K Srikanth, and Ayush Shetty made quick work of their assignments without dropping a match. The boxing ring mirrored that assertiveness, with Sumit Kundu delivering a dominant performance in the 70kg division to comfortably advance.
Double Triumph Over Pakistan in Table Tennis and Kabaddi Dominance
Indian paddlers registered an authoritative showing in table tennis by blanking their counterparts from Pakistan across both categories. The women's team claimed a comprehensive 3-0 win to secure their third consecutive group stage victory, locking up top spot in Group F and sealing a quarterfinal berth. The men's team replicated that exact 3-0 scoreline against Pakistan to likewise book their place in the final eight.
On the kabaddi mat, defending champions India made an emphatic opening statement. The men's squad outclassed Japan by a margin of 49-24, while the women's team dismantled Bangladesh 42-21 to kick off their respective title defenses in dominant fashion.
Setbacks in the Pool and on the Soft Tennis Court
Despite the wide-ranging success, India suffered disappointments in swimming and soft tennis. Two-time Olympian Srihari Nataraj concluded his outing in the 50m backstroke final in 10th position, touching the wall at 25.52 seconds. His final swim was slower than his heat effort of 25.37 seconds clocked earlier in the day. In soft tennis, the mixed doubles pair of Aadhya Tiwari and Jay Meena bowed out after suffering a 2-5 defeat against the Philippine duo of Christy Sanosa and Sherwin Ray Nuguit.
