India women beat Kazakhstan 3-0 to reach Asian Games badminton quarters

India's women's badminton team has advanced to the quarterfinals of the Asian Games 2026 after defeating Kazakhstan 3-0 in the Round of 16 on Sunday, September 20, in Aichi-Nagoya. PV Sindhu, Unnati Hooda and Tanvi Sharma won their singles rubbers, sealing the tie without either doubles pair needing to take the court. Sindhu set the tone in the opening rubber, beating Kamila Smagulova 21-7, 21-9 in just 20 minutes. Unnati Hooda then defeated Alissa Kuleshova 21-7, 21-10, and Tanvi Sharma completed the sweep with a 21-5, 21-10 win over Diana Namenova. None of the three singles matches lasted beyond 25 minutes. With the tie decided at 3-0, the pairs of Treesa Jolly and Gayatri Gopichand Pullela, and Kavipriya Selvam and Simran Singhi, were not required to play. The victory sets up a significantly tougher quarterfinal against host Japan on September 22, with a place in the medal rounds at stake. A potential India-Japan tie could feature Sindhu against three-time world champion Akane Yamaguchi and Hooda against Tomoka Miyazaki, while Jolly and Gopichand, who won a historic bronze at the recent World Championships, would face Japan's leading pair in home conditions.