Lakshya Sen Inspires India to Three-Nil Win Over Japan in Asian Games Badminton

Lakshya Sen defeated Japanese World No. 7 Kodai Naraoka 11-21, 21-5, 21-19 in the quarterfinals of the Asian Games, setting up a 3-0 team win for India over the hosts. Trailing 13-19 in the deciding set, Sen dropped his usual flashy attacking style and relied on simple, steady defense to spark a comeback. Following Sen's opening win, Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty defeated Takuro Hoki and Yugo Kobayashi 21-18, 24-22 in the first doubles match. Ayush Shetty then secured the tie by beating World No. 16 Koki Watanabe 21-10, 21-19, sending India into the semifinals.