Lakshya Sen exits Asian Games 2026 after Loh Kean Yew loss

Lakshya Sen suffered a second-round exit at the 2026 Asian Games after Singapore’s Loh Kean Yew secured a 12-21, 21-15, 21-14 victory at the Ichinomiya City Municipal Gymnasium on Saturday.

Sen, ranked world No. 14, was beaten by the 13th-ranked Loh in a contest that lasted more than an hour. The result ended Sen’s individual campaign and sent Loh, the 2021 world champion, through to the pre-quarterfinals.

The defeat was another setback for India’s badminton contingent, coming a day after the men’s doubles pair of Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty made a shock exit. Sen had already contributed to India’s team-event bronze medal on Wednesday, but an individual Asian Games medal continues to elude him.

Fast start gives way to Loh’s opening-game surge

Sen began the match strongly and moved into a 5-1 lead in the opening game. Loh responded decisively, however, reeling off 10 consecutive points to reverse the early deficit and take control of the game.

That run changed the direction of the opener, with Loh eventually claiming it 21-12. Sen had made the brighter start, but the Singaporean’s sustained scoring sequence left him in front after the first game.

The Indian responded well in the second. The early exchanges remained close before Sen pulled clear towards the latter stages of the game. His aggressive attacking play helped him level the contest with a 21-15 win and force a deciding game.

By winning the second game, Sen ensured the match would be settled in a third after both players had taken one game. It also gave him the opportunity to recover from the difficult opening-game turnaround and take the contest beyond two games.

Decider turns on Loh’s mid-game advantage

Loh established an 11-6 advantage in the deciding game and retained the lead as the match entered its closing phase. Sen produced a brief revival, winning four points in a row to narrow the gap to 13-14. The sequence was helped by a few unforced errors from Loh and brought the contest back within reach.

But Loh regained his composure at a critical moment. He moved out to 16-14 and then constructed three points to extend the margin to 19-14. From there, the Singaporean closed out the decider 21-14 to complete the three-game win.

Individual Asian Games medal remains out of reach

Sen’s exit means he remains without an individual medal at the Asian Games. He had won Commonwealth Games gold in 2022 and finished fourth at the Paris Olympics, while also collecting a team silver at the previous Asian Games in Hangzhou.

At the 2026 edition, Sen leaves with a team bronze after India’s result earlier in the week, but his individual run ended before the pre-quarterfinal stage. Loh’s victory, meanwhile, moved him into the next round after a match in which he recovered from Sen’s early lead, lost the second game, and then controlled the key stretches of the decider.