India’s disappointing badminton campaign at the Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games 2026 has raised questions about the consistency of its top shuttlers, despite the support available to elite athletes.
India finished the competition with just one badminton medal – bronze in the men’s team event, after returning from the previous edition in Hangzhou with three medals, including men’s team silver, Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty’s men’s doubles gold, and HS Prannoy’s men’s singles bronze.
The performance comes as the Sports Ministry prepares to review India’s overall Asian Games campaign with national sports federations on October 13. The review is expected to examine athlete preparation, performance and the effectiveness of government support programmes.
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Indian shuttlers fall short in individual events
India’s hopes of adding to its men’s team bronze ended in the individual-event quarter-finals.
Two-time Olympic medallist PV Sindhu lost to China’s Chen Yufei 21-11, 18-21, 10-21 in women’s singles. Sindhu had won the opening game but struggled to maintain her momentum in the decider after a demanding schedule that saw her play three matches in less than 24 hours.
Teenager Unnati Hooda also came close to a major breakthrough. The 19-year-old took a game off Japan’s three-time world champion Akane Yamaguchi before losing 16-21, 21-14, 17-21.
The disappointment extended to doubles. Women’s pair Treesa Jolly and Gayatri Gopichand lost to Malaysia’s Pearly Tan and Thinaah Muralitharan, while Dhruv Kapila and Tanisha Crasto pushed China’s world No. 1 mixed doubles pair to three games before going down 14-21, 21-18, 18-21.
TOPS funding under scrutiny
The Target Olympic Podium Scheme (TOPS), established by the Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports, identifies elite athletes with the potential to win medals at major international competitions. Badminton is among the scheme’s designated high-priority sports.
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According to media reports, ₹27.16 crore was spent on 34 elite athletes across nine sports who failed to win medals at the Games. The reported figure covers multiple disciplines and should not be interpreted as badminton-specific expenditure.
The proposed review is expected to assess whether investment in training, coaching and international exposure is producing the desired results.
Prakash Padukone calls for greater consistency
Badminton legend Prakash Padukone described India’s campaign as disappointing, arguing that the country’s talent pool should have delivered at least as many medals as it did at the previous Asian Games.
However, he cautioned against treating one tournament as proof of a deeper crisis. Padukone said the issue was not a lack of support but the need for greater consistency from leading players.
He also suggested that Indian shuttlers should identify four or five important tournaments each year and aim to peak for those competitions.
What needs to change?
India’s Asian Games performance highlights the gap between having talented players and consistently converting that potential into medals.
The upcoming review offers an opportunity to examine athlete preparation, tournament scheduling, physical conditioning and the effectiveness of existing support systems.
For Indian badminton, the challenge is not simply to increase investment or expectations. It is to ensure that support translates into consistent performances when the stakes are highest.
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