Asian Games 2026: India women's TT team exit 0-3 to North Korea in quarters
Synopsis
India's women's table tennis trio — Sreeja Akula, Yashaswini Ghorpade, and Diya Chitale — were swept 0-3 by North Korea in the Asian Games 2026 quarterfinals in Nagoya, ending a campaign that had shown fight earlier in the day with a comeback win over Thailand. India's wait for a maiden Asian Games women's team TT medal goes on.
Key Takeaways
India's women's table tennis team lost 0-3 to North Korea in the Asian Games 2026 quarterfinal in Nagoya on 22 September .
Sreeja Akula , Yashaswini Ghorpade , and Diya Chitale all lost in straight games.
India had earlier defeated Thailand 3-2 in the last-16, coming back from 2-1 down.
India have won three Asian Games table tennis medals to date — all bronze — with no women's team medal ever.
The women's doubles bronze at Hangzhou 2023 (Sutirtha and Ayhika Mukherjee) remains India's most recent Asian Games TT medal.
The Indian women's table tennis team was knocked out of the Asian Games 2026 team event in Nagoya on Tuesday, 22 September, after a comprehensive 0-3 quarterfinal defeat to North Korea. The result ends India's campaign without a medal and extends the country's wait for a maiden Asian Games women's team table tennis title.
How the Quarterfinal Unfolded
Sreeja Akula opened India's challenge against Kum Yong Kim but could not replicate the form that had proved decisive against Thailand earlier in the day. She fell in straight games, losing 7-11, 6-11, 5-11, putting India on the back foot immediately.
With the team trailing 0-1, Yashaswini Ghorpade was tasked with steadying the ship against Song Gyong Pyon. She too was swept aside in three straight games, losing 4-11, 3-11, 6-11, as North Korea moved into a commanding 2-0 lead.
Diya Chitale then needed to win the third match against Su Yong Cha to keep India's medal hopes alive. However, Chitale went down 9-11, 7-11, 8-11, allowing North Korea to complete a clean sweep and seal India's exit.
How India Reached the Last Eight
The quarterfinal appearance was earned the hard way. Earlier on Tuesday, India had staged a gutsy comeback to defeat Thailand 3-2 in the last-16 round, having trailed 2-1. Yashaswini delivered two crucial victories to keep the team in contention, before Sreeja sealed the tie with a 3-1 (9-11, 11-6, 12-10, 11-8) win over Olympian and Asian Games medallist Suthasini Sawettabut.
India's Asian Games TT Medal Record
India have so far claimed three Asian Games table tennis medals, all bronze. The breakthrough came at Jakarta 2018, where the Indian men's team won the country's first-ever table tennis medal at the Games. Sharath Kamal and Manika Batra subsequently added another bronze in mixed doubles at the same edition.
At Hangzhou 2023, Sutirtha Mukherjee and Ayhika Mukherjee won bronze in women's doubles — India's first Asian Games medal in the discipline. Notably, a women's team medal has remained elusive across every edition.
What the Exit Means for Indian Table Tennis
The defeat underscores the gap between India and the continent's elite table tennis nations. While individual and doubles formats have yielded results in recent cycles, the team event remains a frontier India is yet to crack. The performance in Nagoya — reaching the quarterfinals after overcoming Thailand — nonetheless signals incremental progress, even as the medal drought in this format continues. India's attention will now turn to remaining individual and doubles events at the Asian Games 2026.
Point of View
But the 0-3 scoreline against North Korea exposed the depth deficit that still separates India from Asia's table tennis powers. All three Indians — including Sreeja Akula, who had been in form — were swept in straight games without taking a single set, which points to a structural gap rather than a bad day. India's three Asian Games TT medals have all come in individual and doubles formats; the team event remains uncharted territory. Until the country develops bench depth beyond its top two or three players, team medals at this level will remain aspirational.
NationPress
22 Sept 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
What happened to India's women's table tennis team at the Asian Games 2026?
India's women's table tennis team was knocked out in the quarterfinals of the Asian Games 2026 team event in Nagoya on 22 September, losing 0-3 to North Korea. Sreeja Akula, Yashaswini Ghorpade, and Diya Chitale all lost their singles matches in straight games.
Who did India beat to reach the quarterfinals at Asian Games 2026?
India defeated Thailand 3-2 in the round of 16 on 22 September, staging a comeback from 2-1 down. Yashaswini Ghorpade won two matches and Sreeja Akula sealed the tie with a 3-1 win over Suthasini Sawettabut.
How many Asian Games medals has India won in table tennis?
India have won three Asian Games table tennis medals, all bronze. The men's team won India's first at Jakarta 2018, Sharath Kamal and Manika Batra added a mixed doubles bronze, and Sutirtha and Ayhika Mukherjee won women's doubles bronze at Hangzhou 2023.
Has India ever won a women's team medal in table tennis at the Asian Games?
No. The quarterfinal defeat at Nagoya 2026 means India's wait for a maiden Asian Games women's team table tennis medal continues. India have not won a women's team medal in any previous edition of the Games.
What were the individual match scores in India's quarterfinal against North Korea?
Sreeja Akula lost 7-11, 6-11, 5-11 to Kum Yong Kim; Yashaswini Ghorpade lost 4-11, 3-11, 6-11 to Song Gyong Pyon; and Diya Chitale lost 9-11, 7-11, 8-11 to Su Yong Cha, giving North Korea a 3-0 sweep.
