Asian Games 2026: Wushu World Cup champ Aparna Dahiya loses in R16

World Cup gold medallist wushu athlete Aparna Dahiya was knocked out of the Asian Games 2026 after a 0-2 loss to her Iranian opponent. Despite the setback, India had a productive day, securing medals in shooting and MMA, and wins in hockey and cricket.

Indian wushu athlete Aparna Dahiya suffered a 0-2 defeat to Iran’s Sogand Sinkaeichetan in the women’s 52kg Sanda Round of 16 at the Asian Games 2026 on Sunday.

Aparna, who won gold at the 11th Sanda World Cup in Macau in May, lost both rounds by a 5-0 scoreline as Sinkaeichetan advanced to the next stage. The Indian had entered the continental competition following an impressive run at the World Cup, where she defeated reigning world champion Thi Phuong Nga Ngo of Vietnam in straight sets to claim the gold medal.

The victory in Macau was India’s first gold at the 11th edition of the Sanda World Cup. Aparna, who hails from Silana village in Haryana and comes from a farmer’s family, had also avenged her earlier defeat to the Vietnamese opponent at the World Wushu Championships.

Meanwhile, India’s Vikrant Baliyan is scheduled to face Iran’s Soheil Mousavi in the men’s 75kg Sanda Round of 16 later on Sunday at 4:50 pm IST.

India's Productive Day Across Other Sports

India enjoyed a productive opening day at the Asian Games, with medals and strong performances across several disciplines. In shooting, Elavenil Valarivan won silver in the women’s 10m air rifle individual final, while she joined Sonam Maskar and Vidarsa Vinod to claim another silver in the team event. In mixed martial arts, Suchika Tariyal secured a medal after defeating Mongolia’s Altanchimeg Baigalmaa in the women’s traditional 60kg quarterfinal.

India also registered convincing wins in hockey, with the women’s team defeating Uzbekistan 19-0 in Pool B and the men beating Indonesia 13-1 in Pool A. The Indian women’s cricket team advanced to the final after defeating Bangladesh in the semifinal.

In table tennis, both the Indian men’s and women’s teams defeated Indonesia 3-0 in their Group F matches, while the women also edged Singapore 3-2. India’s badminton women’s team began its campaign with a 3-0 win over Kazakhstan.

In swimming, Rishabh Das qualified for the men’s 100m backstroke final after finishing fifth in the heats and later placed sixth in the final. Benediction Beniston and Akash Mani finished 12th and 23rd, respectively, in the men’s 100m freestyle heats.

Wushu athlete Suraj Singh Mayanglambam finished 11th in the men’s Changquan final, while teqball player Quimcy Dsouza and the mixed doubles pair of Dsouza and Mohamed Anas Beg lost their respective bronze-medal matches. (ANI)

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by Asianet Newsable English staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)