The Chinese badminton team suffered a slide at the 2026 Nagoya Asian Games as both men’s singles contenders and doubles pairings exited the individual tournament during early-round action at the Ichinomiya General Gymnasium, leaving the squad without a single men’s singles podium finish for the second time since the 2018 Jakarta edition.
Men’s Singles Collapses Against South Korean Opposition
Defending champion Li Shifeng and previous Asian Games runner-up Shi Yuqi both bowed out of the singles bracket following defeats to South Korean opponents. Shi Yuqi entered the third round facing a schedule after grinding out a three-game victory against Panarin earlier in the day, winning 22-20, 21-15, 21-17. In his subsequent encounter against Yu Tae-bin, Shi dropped a tightly contested opening game 21-17. After leading at the second-game interval, Shi surrendered a late lead as Yu erased an 18-18 deadlock and eventually won 25-23, completing a 2-0 sweep.
Earlier in the competition, defending champion Li Shifeng exited in the second round. Li dropped a three-game battle to South Korea’s Choi Ji-hoon, falling 21-18, 19-21, 18-21.
Doubles Defeats Compound Team Misfortunes
The struggles extended beyond the singles courts as combinations faltered in early rounds. In the men’s doubles draw, He Jiting and Liu Yi bowed out in their opening match. Meanwhile, in women’s doubles, Jia Yifan—who captured two consecutive titles at previous Asian Games—teamed up with Zhang Shuxian only to suffer a second-round exit after dropping a comeback match to their Japanese opponents.
Broader Asian Games Singles Outlook
With the Chinese challenge neutralized in the men’s discipline, international contenders advanced through the bracket. South Korea’s Yu Tae-bin advanced to the quarterfinals to face fifth seed Kodai Naraoka, who defeated Lee Cheuk Yiu 21-17, 11-21, 21-18 before sweeping Rostonp 21-11, 21-16. Third seed Chou Tien-chen secured victories over Daman and Ayush to set up a clash with sixth seed Farhan. In other matches, second seed Kunlavut defeated Peerapach Pewpong and Nguyen Hai Dang, while Loh Kean Yew overcame eighth seed Lakshya Sen 21-12, 15-21, 21-14 before a straight-game win over He Shouwei.
Next Steps in Nagoya
The individual badminton tournaments at the Ichinomiya General Gymnasium continue through the weekend toward the medal rounds, with remaining international contenders contesting the quarterfinals and semifinals.
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