Sports News | Asian Games 2026 Gets Underway in Nagoya; Indian Women’s Cricket Team Begins Title Defence Against Japan
Get latest articles and stories on Sports at LatestLY. India will have a busy day at the Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games 2026 on Friday, with action across cricket, soft tennis and teqball.
By Vipul Kashyap
Nagoya [Japan], September 18 (ANI): India will have a busy day at the Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games 2026 on Friday, with action across cricket, soft tennis and teqball.
The day begins with the Indian men’s soft tennis team taking on Laos in Group C, followed by matches against Chinese Taipei and Mongolia. In teqball, Indian athletes will also be in action in women’s singles and mixed doubles events through the morning and afternoon.
The main focus will be on the Indian women’s cricket quarter-final against hosts Japan. Led by captain Harmanpreet Kaur, the defending Asian Games champions will begin their gold-medal defence in a straight knockout fixture at Korogi Athletic Park.
Also Read | Malaysia vs Sri Lanka, Live Streaming and Free Telecast of Women's Asian Games 2026 Cricket Match in India.
India head into the Asian Games on the back of a record-extending eighth Asia Cup title, having defeated Sri Lanka in the final last week, while Japan will be appearing in the Asian Games cricket competition for the third time.
Ranked third in the T20I standings, India are the highest-ranked side in the eight-team women’s competition and will enter the tournament as one of the leading contenders for the title. The match against Japan will also mark the first-ever meeting between the two sides.
Meanwhile, Japan face a tough challenge against a strong Indian side. Ranked 39th in the women’s T20I team rankings, Japan will be making their third appearance in cricket at the Asian Games.
Their best finish in women’s cricket at the Asian Games came in 2010, when they won the bronze medal. This year’s competition is being played in a straight knockout format, leaving little room for error. (ANI)
(The above story is verified and authored by ANI staff, ANI is South Asia's leading multimedia news agency with over 100 bureaus in India, South Asia and across the globe. ANI brings the latest news on Politics and Current Affairs in India & around the World, Sports, Health, Fitness, Entertainment, & News. The views appearing in the above post do not reflect the opinions of LatestLY)