The Asian Games in Japan closed on Sunday after a fortnight lit up by record-smashing young stars but marred by mishaps, mediocre crowds and accusations of mismanagement.
More than 17,000 athletes and officials, a bigger number than the Olympics, descended on Nagoya and Aichi Prefecture for the continent’s premier sporting spectacular.
Chinese swimming sensation Yu Zidi, just 13, stole the show with three gold medals, all in Games-record times.
She looks set to be a major medal threat at the Los Angeles 2028 Olympics.
The schoolgirl was named a Games MVP to cap an extraordinary showing that saw her scorch to gold in the 200m butterfly and do the 200m-400m individual medley double.
For all that, the shy teenager said: “I don’t think I am what people describe as a prodigy.”
Also in the pool, Japanese swimmer Shin Ohashi, only 17, smashed the men’s 200m breaststroke world record to delight the home crowd.
In athletics, where rain tumbled down over several days, the 20-year-old Thai sprinter Puripol Boonson did the 100m-200m double and was named men’s MVP.
On a dry evening, a celebratory closing ceremony full of colour and song saw Japan hand over hosting duties to Doha 2030.
‘Failure grade’
Top officials were on the defensive up until the last minute.
Olympic Council of Asia director general Husain Al-Musallam said “numbers are facts”, pointing to 50 world records broken at the Games after they opened on September 19.
Olympic Council of Asia (OCA) President Sheikh Joaan bin Hamad Al-Thani (C) hands over the OCA flag to Qatars Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim Al-Thani during the closing ceremony of the 2026 Asian Games at Nagoya City Mizuho Park Athletic Stadium in Nagoya, Aichi Prefecture on October 4, 2026. — AFP
Olympic Council of Asia (OCA) President Sheikh Joaan bin Hamad Al-Thani (C) hands over the OCA flag to Qatar’s Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim Al-Thani during the closing ceremony of the 2026 Asian Games at Nagoya City Mizuho Park Athletic Stadium in Nagoya, Aichi Prefecture on October 4, 2026. — AFP
“The athletes cannot perform if they don’t sleep good, the athletes cannot perform if they don’t have good transportation,” he said.
This 20th edition of the Games, which were first contested in 1951, did not have a traditional athletes’ village in a bid to save money.
Instead, participants were housed in wooden temporary units, on the cruise ship Costa Serena and in hotels.
Organisers said this was a template for future multi-sports events.
But it came with issues, with some teams complaining the units were too cramped and the beds too short.
More than that, the ballooning numbers of athletes and officials meant there were not enough beds for everyone.
One Thai Olympic official told AFP it was “like musical chairs” trying to get somewhere to sleep.
The sport, including a blockbuster cricket final won by India against arch-rivals Pakistan, did sometimes shine through.
North Korean weightlifter Ri Song Gum, a 140cm (4ft 7in) pocket powerhouse, set three new world marks in one day for gold.
But problems kept coming, including organisers playing North Korea’s national anthem for the South Korean hockey team.
There were athletes’ buses that did not turn up when they should, or did not arrive at all.
Two teams were sent to the wrong venue, delaying a volleyball match.
“If I were to give them a grade, it would be an F,” Ryu Seung-min, president of the Korean Sport and Olympic Committee, said.
Games organisers were on the back foot as well over attendances, with the opening ceremony taking place in front of thousands of empty seats.
At the women’s football semi-final between hosts Japan and South Korea, there were 998 spectators in a 50,000 stadium.
Boy history-maker
Japanese Olympic Committee president Seiko Hashimoto admitted that “there were many problems”, but said the country wants to host more international events in future.
She said bad weather had turned some spectators off, but was eager to point out that some sports were well attended.
Robotic arms with flags are seen during the closing ceremony of the 2026 Asian Games at Nagoya City Mizuho Park Athletic Stadium in Nagoya, Aichi Prefecture on October 4, 2026. — AFP
Robotic arms with flags are seen during the closing ceremony of the 2026 Asian Games at Nagoya City Mizuho Park Athletic Stadium in Nagoya, Aichi Prefecture on October 4, 2026. — AFP
About 30,000 saw South Korea beat Japan 1-0 to clinch men’s football gold, although the occasion was tarnished somewhat when the South Korean flag failed to go up in the victory ceremony.
The hosts finished with 83 golds, a distant second in the medals table behind China with 169.
Japan’s tally included gold for Yuki Kurihara, who won an eSports competition aged 11, making him the youngest Games champion in history.
Several sports with ambitions of making the Olympics made their debut, including padel, MMA and virtual taekwondo.
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India beat Pakistan by 19 runs in the Asian Games cricket final after setting a daunting 212-run target and restricting Green Shirts in the chase at Korogi Sports Park in Nisshin, Japan, on Saturday.
Pakistan were restricted to 192-6 despite making a promising start, with openers Sahibzada Farhan and Maaz Sadaqat putting together a 33-run partnership.
However, the stand was broken when captain Farhan was dismissed by Washington Sundar for 10 off 11 deliveries, with the opener hitting one boundary.
Pakistan suffered another blow in the following over as Axar Patel dismissed wicketkeeper-batter Usman Khan for three off six deliveries, leaving Pakistan at 36-2 after 4.5 overs.
Pakistans Hasan Nawaz (L) and teammate Abdul Samad gesture during the mens cricket final match between Pakistan and India during the 2026 Asian Games at the Korogi Athletic Park in Nisshin on October 3, 2026. — AFP
Pakistan’s Hasan Nawaz (L) and teammate Abdul Samad gesture during the men’s cricket final match between Pakistan and India during the 2026 Asian Games at the Korogi Athletic Park in Nisshin on October 3, 2026. — AFP
Axar struck again as Maaz departed for a valuable 23 off 18 deliveries, including three boundaries, leaving Pakistan at 39-3 after 6.1 overs.
Saim Ayub and Hasan Nawaz then joined forces and put together a solid partnership to steady Pakistan’s innings. Their efforts helped Pakistan regain momentum and take their total past the 100-run mark.
Nawaz continued his impressive form with the bat, leading from the front as he brought up his third T20I half-century.
However, their 87-run partnership was eventually broken when Shivam Dube dismissed Saim for 29 off 22 deliveries. The batter struck two boundaries and a six.
Pakistan were five down when Sundar struck again, dismissing Abdul Samad for a run-a-ball nine, with the batter hitting one boundary, leaving Pakistan at 162-5 after 17.3 overs.
India players celebrate after beating Pakistan to win gold in the Asian Games mens cricket final at the Korogi Athletic Park in Nisshin on October 3, 2026. — Reuters
India players celebrate after beating Pakistan to win gold in the Asian Games men’s cricket final at the Korogi Athletic Park in Nisshin on October 3, 2026. — Reuters
With 33 runs required off the final over, Pakistan fell short despite Nawaz remaining unbeaten on 96 off 51 deliveries, including five boundaries and seven sixes. Saad Masood contributed 12 as Pakistan finished on 192-6.
For India, Axar Patel, Washington Sundar and Shivam Dube claimed two wickets each in their respective spells.
Earlier, after opting to bat first, India made a flying start as openers Vaibhav Sooryavanshi and Abhishek Sharma struck early boundaries to put Pakistan under pressure.
However, Saim provided Pakistan with a much-needed breakthrough by dismissing Sooryavanshi with the first delivery of the third over, ending the 28-run opening partnership. Sooryavanshi scored 15 off nine deliveries, including two boundaries.
Pakistans Hasan Nawaz plays a shot during the mens cricket final match between Pakistan and India during the 2026 Asian Games at the Korogi Athletic Park in Nisshin on October 3, 2026. — AFP
Pakistan’s Hasan Nawaz plays a shot during the men’s cricket final match between Pakistan and India during the 2026 Asian Games at the Korogi Athletic Park in Nisshin on October 3, 2026. — AFP
Abhishek continued his aggressive approach, regularly clearing the ropes as India raced past the 50-run mark in the fourth over.
Pakistan then claimed their second wicket when Ahmed Daniyal dismissed Sanju Samson for two off four deliveries, leaving India at 51-2 after 3.5 overs.
Abhishek continued to pile on the runs with relentless boundary-hitting and brought up his 13th T20I half-century in emphatic fashion.
Pakistan eventually dismissed the dangerous left-hander when Arafat Minhas removed the well-set batter for 61 off 28 deliveries, with his blistering innings featuring three boundaries and seven sixes.
Skipper Shreyas Iyer and Ishan Kishan then joined hands to steady India’s innings, forging a useful partnership that helped their side move past the 100-run mark.
India were four wickets down when Minhas struck again, ending the 35-run partnership by dismissing Kishan for 20 off 18 deliveries, including three boundaries. India were 128-4 after 13.1 overs.
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India set Pakistan a 212-run target in their 20 overs in the Asian Games cricket final at Korogi Sports Park in Nisshin, Japan, on Saturday.
Abhishek Sharma top-scored with a blistering 61 off 28 balls, smashing three fours and seven sixes, while Tilak Varma provided a strong finish with an unbeaten 51 off 22 deliveries.
Shivam Dube also contributed a quickfire 27 off 15 balls as India maintained a run rate of 10.55.
Arafat Minhas and Ahmed Daniyal claimed two wickets each, while Saim Ayub and Abrar Ahmed took one apiece.
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Pakistan’s men’s volleyball team defeated India 3-0 in the Asian Games 2026 quarter-final at Okazaki Chuo Sogo Park Gymnasium on Thursday.
The Green Shirts made a dominant start to the blockbuster fixture, clinching the opening set 25-19 in just 23 minutes and asserting early control.
India offered significant resistance in the subsequent set, which lasted 34 minutes, but Pakistan held their nerves in the tightly contested duel to eventually prevail 25-23 and move just one away from a high-reward victory.
The Green Shirts, fuelled by momentum, completely outclassed India in the third and final set, winning it by 25-18 in just 25 minutes, and rounding up a comprehensive victory.
Leading the way for Pakistan was opposite Murad Khan as he scored 19 points, including 18 successful spikes, followed by Ali Usman Faryad with 13, while Mohammad Hammad chipped in with nine.
The Green Shirts also dominated the statistical battle, recording 75 attack points compared to India’s 60, while also leading in blocks 5-4.
India, however, held the edge in service points, while also forcing more opponent errors, 20, one more than Pakistan.
For the unversed, Pakistan made a dominant start to the Asian Games 2026 men’s volleyball competition as they inflicted a 3-1 defeat on Kazakhstan in their campaign opener.
The Green Shirts followed it up with yet another resounding victory, a 3-0 thrashing of Uzbekistan, to seal their place in the knockout stage with a match to spare.
In their final pool match, however, the national team suffered a gruelling 3-0 defeat at the hands of host nation Japan, dubbed one of the favourites for the gold medal, alongside defending champions, the Islamic Republic of Iran.
Meanwhile, Pakistan defeated Hong Kong, China 2-1 in the men’s team squash semi-final at Nagoya Kinjo Futo Arena on Thursday to book a place in the Asian Games final and secure at least a silver medal.
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Pakistan on Thursday stormed into the final of the Asian Games cricket after crushing Bangladesh by six wickets in the first semi-final played at Nisshin, reported 24NewsHD TV channel.
Pakistani batters chased down the modest target of 112 runs in the 12th over by losing only four wickets.
Abdus Samad top-scored with unbeaten 30 runs off just 15 balls while Hasan Nawaz hit 27 runs though he was still on the crease.
India will take on Sri Lanka in the second semi-final at the same venue tomorrow.
Chasing 112 in 13 overs, Pakistan recovered from 53 for four to reach the target in 11.3 overs, with Samad and Hasan adding an unbroken 59-run partnership for the fifth wicket.
Samad provided the decisive acceleration, smashing 30 not out from just 15 balls with five fours and a six. His innings turned the contest firmly in Pakistan’s favour when he took apart Mustafizur Rahman in the 10th over.
With Pakistan requiring 36 from the final four overs, Hasan took a single from the first ball before Samad launched Mustafizur for a six over long-on and then struck four consecutive boundaries. The over yielded 23 runs and reduced the equation to just 13 from 18 balls. Samad collected 22 runs from the five balls he faced in the over as Pakistan surged from 76 for four to 99 for four.
Hasan complemented Samad well, finishing unbeaten on 27 from 22 balls with two fours and two sixes.
Earlier, Saim Ayub struck 21 from 12 balls, including two sixes, while T20I debutant Maaz Sadaqat made a rapid 15 from seven balls.
Pakistan had suffered early setbacks in the chase as captain Sahibzada Farhan fell for one before Maaz, Saim and Usman Khan departed inside the first seven overs. At 53 for four, Bangladesh had an opening, but Samad and Hasan responded with an unbeaten stand that took Pakistan comfortably into the gold-medal match.
Earlier, after being asked to bat first, Bangladesh posted 111 for seven from their allotted 13 overs. Towhid Hridoy top-scored with 42 from 25 balls, hitting two fours and four sixes, while Saif Hassan contributed 19.
Pakistan’s spinners kept Bangladesh under pressure despite Hridoy’s counterattack. Sufyan Moqim was the pick of the bowlers with three wickets for 26 runs, while Arafat Minhas taking two for 23. Saim returned economical figures of one for three from his two overs.
Pakistan will face the winner of the second semi-final between India and Sri Lanka in the gold-medal match on Saturday, 3 October at the same venue.
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Ruthless An retains Asian Games badminton crown as Kunlavut triumphs
An Se-young wants to follow in the footsteps of badminton legend Lin Dan after becoming the first woman to win two Asian Games singles titles on Tuesday, while Thailand’s Kunlavut Vitidsarn clinched the men’s crown.
An, the Olympic and world champion from South Korea, has not lost a match since March and gave another ruthless display in dominating Japan’s Akane Yamaguchi 21-17, 21-9 in the final in Nagoya.
It was the 24-year-old’s eighth title of an incredible 2026 and gave her a second Asian Games gold after winning three years ago in Hangzhou.
China’s Lin, regarded as the greatest badminton player of all time, won two Asian Games men’s singles titles.
He also won Olympic gold twice and was a five-time world champion.
“I am trying to keep up with this great athlete,” said world number one An.
“There are lots of strong athletes that have achieved great things, and they motivate me to also perform well.”
An has only lost one match this year and of the titles she did not win, she finished runner-up at the All-England Open and pulled out injured from the Japan Open.
She won her second world crown in August in New Delhi.
“I’m very happy that I can keep winning titles,” she said.
“I think this is a result of my ability to focus.
“I wouldn’t necessarily call myself invincible, but I never give up and I always play my best game.”
An has now won her last nine matches against Yamaguchi, who is ranked number three in the world and a three-time world champion.
Kunlavut wins men’s title
Backed by pockets of vocal Korean fans, including members of her family, An made a slow start but battled back and took control of the first game.
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Pakistan advanced to the Asian Games men’s cricket semi-finals on Monday after rain washed out their quarter-final against Hong Kong, China, in Nisshin, Japan.
The first quarter-final was abandoned without a toss after persistent rain prevented any play at Korogi Sports Park.
The abandonment of the fixture meant the Green Shirts, on the virtue of being the better-ranked side, advanced into the semi-finals, while it marked the end of Hong Kong’s campaign at the Games.
Pakistan had entered the knockout stage directly alongside India, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka by virtue of their rankings, while Hong Kong secured their quarter-final place after finishing second in Group B.
Hong Kong had two points from their group matches, while Malaysia topped the group with three points.
Their final group fixture against Oman was also abandoned without a ball being bowled.
Pakistan arrived in Japan after a four-day training camp in Karachi, where they worked on conditions expected at the Asian Games and practised different match scenarios.
Their training session in Nisshin on Sunday was also affected by overnight rain and a wet outfield.
Sahibzada Farhan is captaining a 15-member Pakistan squad that includes T20 internationals such as Saim Ayub, Abrar Ahmed, Haider Ali and Mohammad Wasim Jr. Mike Hesson is the team’s head coach.
Pakistan’s semi-final will be played on October 1, with the bronze-medal match and final scheduled for October 3.
Pakistan squad for Asian Games
Sahibzada Farhan (c), Abdul Samad (vc), Abrar Ahmed, Ahmed Daniyal, Akif Javed, Ali Raza, Arafat Minhas, Haider Ali, Hasan Nawaz, Maaz Sadaqat, Mohammad Wasim Jnr, Saad Masood, Saim Ayub, Sufyan Moqim and Usman Khan (wk)
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Pakistan’s men’s volleyball team kicked off its Asian Games 2026 campaign with a convincing 3-1 victory over Kazakhstan on Sunday, while Noor Zaman defeated compatriot Mohammad Ashab Irfan to clinch third place in the men’s squash singles.
In the squash competition at the Nagoya Kinjo Futo Arena, Zaman outclassed Irfan 3-0 in the third-place playoff, wrapping up the contest in just 26 minutes with a 11-7, 11-7, 13-11 victory.
Zaman, who had earlier suffered a straight-games defeat to defending champion Eain Yow Ng of Malaysia in the semi-finals, quickly put that disappointment behind him.
He needed only eight minutes to claim the opening game 11-7 before producing an even more dominant display in the second to win by the same scoreline in six minutes.
Irfan mounted a stronger challenge in the third game, but Zaman held his nerve to edge it 13-11 and seal the bronze medal.
Meanwhile, Pakistan’s men’s volleyball team made an impressive start to its Pool A campaign by defeating Kazakhstan 25-16, 25-22, 17-25, 25-20 at the Okazaki Chuo Sogo Park Gymnasium.
After taking a two-set lead, Pakistan briefly lost momentum in the third before regaining control to close out the match in four sets.
Murad Khan led Pakistan’s scoring with 21 points, including 17 successful spikes and four blocks. Usman Faryad Ali contributed 14 points, while Jehan Murad and Musawer Khan added 11 and nine points, respectively. Pakistan’s attacking efficiency proved decisive, with the team finishing on 92 points compared to Kazakhstan’s 83.
Although Pakistan was outperformed in blocking, recording seven blocks against Kazakhstan’s 10, it compensated with a superior offensive display, converting 55 of its 114 spike attempts, while Kazakhstan managed 48 successful spikes from 113 attempts.
Pakistan will return to action on Monday against Uzbekistan before taking on hosts Japan in its final Pool A fixture.
Pakistan remained 33rd in the medal standings with four bronze medals.
China continued to lead the medal standings with 119 gold, 48 silver and 38 bronze medals for a total of 205. Hosts Japan occupied second place with 37 gold, 62 silver and 58 bronze medals (157 overall), while South Korea remained third with 21 gold, 23 silver and 39 bronze medals for a total of 83.
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Pakistan suffered their first defeat in hockey, while squash players Ashab Irfan and Noor Zaman secured bronze medals after losing their respective singles semi-finals at the Asian Games 2026 at the Nagoya Kinjo Futo Arena on Saturday.
Malaysia handed Pakistan their first defeat of the Asian Games, securing a 5-4 victory in their Group B match.
Pakistan had taken a 4-3 lead after Sufyan Khan scored his fourth goal of the match in the fourth quarter. However, Malaysia fought back, scoring twice in the final five minutes to seal the win.
The two sides were level at 3-3 at the end of the third quarter, with Sufyan scoring all four of Pakistan’s goals.
Malaysia are currently top of Group B, with Pakistan second. Pakistan will play Oman in their final group-stage match.
Separately, Pakistan’s Ashab Irfan and Noor Zaman both lost their semi-finals but secured bronze medals in squash.
In the first semi-final, Ashab was outclassed by India’s Abhay Singh in a straight-game defeat, while Zaman suffered a similar loss to Malaysia’s Eain Yow Ng in the subsequent knockout fixture.
Ashab, who booked his place in the semi-finals by defeating another Indian opponent, Veer Chotrani, was not allowed to settle in the high-stakes fixture and thus conceded the opening game 11-3 in just nine minutes.
He offered a notable fightback in the subsequent game but still ended up conceding 11-2, while Singh clinched the deciding game swiftly 11-6 in just eight minutes to round up a thumping victory.
Zaman, on the other hand, had a relatively spirited start to his respective semi-final as he traded points with Yow NG before pulling ahead 7-5 in the first game, but the Malaysian staged a sensational comeback as he secured six points on the trot and clinched the opener 11-5 in just 14 minutes.
Yow NG was even more lethal in the subsequent game, brushing Zaman aside 11-2 in just four minutes to move one away from a high-reward victory.
The Malaysian continued his demolition in the third game, which he also clinched in four minutes, beating Zaman 11-4, to set up the gold-medal match with India’s Singh.
Despite ending up losing their respective semi-finals, both Ashab and Zaman secured a bronze apiece for Pakistan. They, however, will still lock horns in the third-place playoff, scheduled to be played at the same venue on Sunday.
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Pakistan head coach Mike Hesson admitted Wednesday that his team has some catching up to do if they are to challenge arch-rivals India at the Asian Games.
India’s men have won back-to-back World Cups and are also defending champions at the Asian Games.
Since Hesson took over in May last year Pakistan lost to India three times in the Asia Cup 2025 and once in this year’s Twenty20 World Cup.
“India are the benchmark in terms of white ball cricket at the moment and our challenge is to catch up to that,” said Hesson in Karachi ahead of the team’s departure.
The men’s cricket at the Asian Games in Japan starts on Thursday.
Pakistan and India have never met at the Games but are likely to face off in the semi-finals on October 1 in Nagoya.
“We are certainly preparing as best we can and if we get an opportunity to play (India) we will certainly put them under pressure like we did in the final of the Asia Cup,” Hesson said of last year’s final in Dubai.
Pakistan will first meet the winners of Pool B — comprising Hong Kong, Oman and Malaysia — in the quarter-final on September 28.
Hesson said Pakistan need to start well.
“There is a lot of cricket to be played between now and being able to play in the semi-final for both sides (Pakistan and India), so we are not getting too far ahead of ourselves,” Hesson said.
Pakistan have never won a medal in the Asian Games cricket, losing the bronze medal match in 2010 and 2023 while they did not compete in 2014.
While India has sent a full-strength team for the Asian Games, Pakistan’s side is a combination of youth and experience, captained by opener Sahibzada Farhan.
‘Asian Games offer Farhan chance to gain captaincy experience’
Hesson believes the upcoming Asian Games will give Sahibzada Farhan a chance to strengthen his leadership credentials.
Hesson said the players had been given extensive practice to prepare them for different pitches and playing conditions during the tournament.
“The players have been given extensive practice over the past three days to prepare them for different pitches and conditions,” Hesson said during a media talk in Karachi.
The head coach also clarified that fast bowler Shahnawaz Dahani was not included in the 30-member preliminary squad selected five months ago for the Asian Games, with the current squad chosen from the same list in accordance with Olympic regulations.
Hesson believes the Asian Games will also give emerging players an important opportunity to showcase their talent.
“The Asian Games provide an excellent platform for new and talented players to showcase their abilities,” he said.
He specifically highlighted Farhan’s leadership role, saying the tournament would be an important learning experience for the Pakistan opener.
“For Sahibzada Farhan, the Asian Games are an excellent opportunity to gain captaincy experience,” Hesson said.
However, Hesson made it clear that Farhan’s role at the Asian Games would not determine Pakistan’s long-term captaincy plans.
“The decision regarding future captaincy will be taken by the selection committee and the PCB chairman,” he said.
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The Pakistan Hockey team secured a 3-0 victory against China in the Pool B match of the 2026 Asian Games men’s hockey competition, with Captain Abubakar Mehmood, Hannan Shahid, and Sufyan each contributing a goal to seal the win.
The recently concluded fixture got off to a quiet start as neither team could open the scoring in the first quarter.
Pakistan eventually pulled ahead at the 19th-minute mark when skipper Mahmood successfully converted a penalty corner. Sufyan doubled the Green Shirts’ advantage five minutes later, scoring in a similar fashion.
Shahid further bolstered Pakistan’s dominance in the pulsating second quarter by scoring a sensational field goal in the 28th minute.
The triple strike helped Pakistan go into halftime with a three-goal lead in their favour, and although Zikriya Hayat was shown a green card in the penultimate quarter, they managed to hold on to their advantage until the final whistle as China could not score a single goal.
The 3-0 victory marked Pakistan’s third consecutive win in the men’s field hockey competition at the Asian Games. The national team started their campaign with a 9-0 routing of Thailand before inflicting a 5-1 defeat on Uzbekistan in their subsequent league-stage fixture.
Furthermore, the hat-trick of victories consolidated Pakistan’s second position in the Pool B standings with nine points and a positive goal difference of 16. The Green Shirts only trail leaders Malaysia on goal difference (24), who also have nine points after their respective first three games.
Pakistan next face Malaysia in their penultimate league-stage fixture, which would be crucial in determining which team secure the summit position, and will be played at the same venue on Saturday.
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India won the women’s cricket gold medal at the Asian Games after defeating Sri Lanka by a big margin in the final in Ningbo, Japan, 24NewsHD TV reported on Tuesday.
After winning the toss, India elected to bat and posted a formidable 216 for three in their 20 overs.
Smriti Mandhana led the scoring with 79, while Shafali Verma made 48.
Captain Harmanpreet Kaur scored 19 before being dismissed, while Richa Ghosh remained unbeaten on 49 and Bharti Phalguni on seven.
For Sri Lanka, Sugandika Kumari, Kavisha Dilhari and Chamodi Praboda took one wicket each.
Chasing 217, Sri Lanka were bowled out for just 69 runs.
Captain Chamari Athapaththu top-scored with 29, while Nethmi Neththigana made 14 and Kavisha Dilhari scored 11.
No other Sri Lankan batter reached double figures.
Deepti Sharma claimed three wickets for India, while Shafali Verma, Shreyanka Patil and Shree Charani took two wickets each.
Sri Lanka settled for the silver medal, while Pakistan had earlier defeated Bangladesh in the third-place playoff to claim the bronze medal.
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Pakistan secured the bronze medal in the 2026 Asian Games women’s cricket competition after defeating Bangladesh by 31 runs in the third-place playoff at Korogi Sports Park, Nisshin, on Tuesday.
Batting first, Pakistan were restricted to 145-8 in their allotted 20 overs as Bangladesh produced an impressive bowling performance to contain the Green Shirts’ batting lineup.
Captain Fatima Sana top-scored for Pakistan with an unbeaten 45 off 30 deliveries, smashing three boundaries and three sixes. Opener Gull Feroza contributed 31 off 23 balls, hitting six boundaries.
Aliya Riaz played a valuable knock of 25 off 22 deliveries, including one boundary and two sixes, while fellow opener Shawaal Zulfiqar scored 17 off 27 balls without hitting a boundary.
Saira Jabeen was dismissed for five off six deliveries, with one boundary, while Ayesha Zafar scored nine off seven balls, including one boundary. Eyman Fatima was dismissed for a duck after facing three deliveries, while Tuba Hassan contributed four off two balls, hitting one boundary.
For Bangladesh, Ritu Moni, Shorna Akter and Nahida Akter claimed two wickets each, while Sanjida Akter Meghla chipped in with one wicket.
Chasing 146, the Tigresses were restricted to 114-7 in their allotted 20 overs as Pakistan staged a fighting comeback with the ball after struggling with the bat.
Shamim Akhter remained unbeaten with a fighting 46 off 45 deliveries, including four boundaries. Skipper Nigar Sultana contributed 25 runs off 30 deliveries, hitting three boundaries, while opener Dilara Akter scored 12 off eight deliveries with two boundaries.
Shorna Akter scored six off eight deliveries, while Juairiya Ferdous and Rabeya Khan contributed four runs each. Ritu Moni and Sobhana Mostary added three and two runs respectively, while Nahida Akter remained unbeaten on 10.
Umm-e-Hani starred with the ball for Pakistan, claiming 3/10 in her four overs, while Tasmia Rubab, Fatima Sana, Nashra Sandhu and Ayesha Zafar chipped in with one wicket each.
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Sri Lanka Women chased down Pakistan’s 178-run target to secure an eight-wicket victory in the first semi-final of the Asian Games 2026 at Korogi Sports Park in Nisshin, Japan, on Sunday.
Sri Lanka reached 178-2 in 17.5 overs, winning with 13 balls to spare to book their place in Tuesday’s gold-medal match.
Captain Chamari Athapaththu led the successful chase with an unbeaten 83 off 50 balls, striking seven fours and six sixes at a strike rate of 166.
She put Sri Lanka in a strong position alongside Hasini Perera, who scored 42 from 26 deliveries, including three fours and three sixes.
Athapaththu and Hasini Perera then added 90 runs for the second wicket to put Sri Lanka firmly in control.
Dulani hit five fours in her 21-ball innings before being dismissed by Pakistan captain Fatima Sana.
Nashra Sandhu then removed Perera, who was caught by Umm-e-Hani, but Sri Lanka remained firmly in control.
Harshitha Samarawickrama joined Athapaththu and remained unbeaten on 17 from 12 balls, with two fours, as Sri Lanka completed the chase comfortably.
Earlier, Pakistan posted 177-4 in their allotted 20 overs after being asked to bat.
Ayesha Zafar top-scored with 71 off 40 balls, while Shawaal Zulfiqar made 54 from 50 deliveries. Fatima Sana added an unbeaten 20 off 12 balls.
Sri Lanka’s victory sends them through to Tuesday’s gold-medal match, while Pakistan will now have an opportunity to compete for bronze.
The result also gives Sri Lanka another victory over Pakistan after their four-wicket win in the Women’s T20 Asia Cup semi-final earlier this month in Dubai.
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Captain of the national women’s cricket team Fatima Sana and rising squash player Noor Zaman led Pakistan’s delegation at the opening ceremony of the Asian Games 2026 at the Paloma Mizuho Stadium in Japan on Saturday.
A total of 246 athletes from 23 different disciplines, including cricket, squash, hockey, athletics and esports, will represent Pakistan at the Games, which will run until October 4, according to the Pakistan Olympic Association.
The 20th Asian Games opened with a message of unity following a troubled build-up to the multi-sport spectacular that has more athletes than the Olympics.
There were however, a large number of empty seats at the 30,000-capacity stadium in Nagoya, where a subdued crowd saw a colourful opening ceremony with the main stage in the shape of a giant heart.
Japan’s Emperor and Empress were given a respectful reception as they took their seats, with International Olympic Committee president Kirsty Coventry also in attendance.
The first gold medal will be won on Sunday morning, likely in the men’s individual triathlon, as the continent’s finest athletes compete in more than 40 sports before the curtain comes down on October 4.
The event in Nagoya and Aichi prefecture has 2028 Olympics places up for grabs in seven sports and will be graced by global stars and fast-rising prodigies.
But it has been dogged by a series of problems in the lead-up.
The more than 11,000 athletes and 6,000 officials stretched organisers to the limit as they scrambled to find accommodation for everyone.
To save money there is no traditional athletes’ village, competitors instead staying in a combination of temporary container-style huts, hotels and cruise ship the Costa Serena.
There was a record deluge last week which flooded parts of Nagoya and now a typhoon is approaching eastern Japan threatening further disruption in the coming days.
Some athletes were left stranded at the airport when transport failed to turn up and several teams have complained about the quality of the huts, including the beds being too short.
In the latest mishap, North Korea’s national anthem was played on Friday for South Korea’s men’s hockey team.
Cheers, empty seats
Two-time Asian Games silver medallist Zahra Kiani was a flag-bearer for Iran and hopes to win another medal in the Chinese martial art of wushu — by watching how it’s done on YouTube.
“I have been training with movies. I watch videos of Chinese athletes and I try to copy them,” she said.
The Olympic Council of Asia said the continent’s premier sporting event, featuring 45 countries and territories, came at a vital moment.
“The opening ceremony message is to show and demonstrate the unity of Asia against the conflicts around Asia (and) the political conflicts of the Middle East,” OCA president Sheikh Joaan bin Hamad Al-Thani said before the show swung into action.
There was no mistaking, however, the rows of empty seats, despite organisers saying all tickets had been taken.
Apart from Japan’s athletes, the biggest cheer was reserved for China’s competitors as they filed into the arena.
China will again expect to top the medals table after winning a whopping 201 golds and 383 medals on home soil in Hangzhou at the Covid-delayed Games in 2023.
Prodigies in spotlight
Basketball, football and cricket are among the sports already under way.
As always at the Asian Games — which started in 1951 — Olympic staples such as athletics and swimming will sit side-by-side with regional favourites like sepak takraw and kabaddi.
There will be eSports, breakdancing and BMX cycling. Padel and MMA will make their Asian Games debuts.
Among those competing will be Philippine tennis sensation Alexandra Eala and a pair of prodigies in 15-year-old Indian cricketer Vaibhav Sooryavanshi and 13-year-old Chinese swimmer Yu Zidi.
Taiwan boxer Lin Yu-ting will also be competing, two years after she won Paris Olympics gold in the middle of a major gender row that saw her eligibility questioned.
North Korea will have more than 100 athletes competing across 14 sports, aiming to “bring joy to Marshal Kim Jong Un”.
Sooryavanshi will be part of an India cricket team looking to make a statement before the sport returns to the Olympics in Los Angeles after an absence of 128 years.
India could face Pakistan in the final at Nagoya’s new purpose-built cricket ground — if rain does not intervene.
