India Take Sweet Revenge Against Thailand, Reach Women’s Table Tennis Quarterfinals at Asian Games 2026

India’s women’s table tennis team booked its place in the quarterfinals of the Asian Games 2026 after edging past Thailand 3-2 in a thrilling Round of 16 contest on Tuesday.

The Indian team had to withstand a determined challenge from Thailand in a contest that lasted around three hours, with the tie ultimately going down to the fifth and deciding match. Sreeja Akula held her nerve when it mattered most, sealing India’s passage into the last eight with a 3-1 victory.

The result also carried an added layer of significance for India. At the 2022 Asian Games in Hangzhou, Thailand had defeated the Indian women’s team 3-2 at the same Round of 16 stage. Four years later, India reversed that result to progress in Aichi-Nagoya.

The 3-2 victory represents a significant turnaround from the previous Asian Games meeting between the two teams. In Hangzhou 2022, India’s women’s team suffered a narrow 2-3 defeat against Thailand in the Round of 16 and exited the competition at that stage.

This time, India found a way through another closely fought encounter. The margin was again just one match, but the outcome was different. India managed to withstand Thailand’s challenge and produce the crucial points when the contest reached its decisive stages.

The victory therefore has both immediate and historical significance for the Indian team as it moves into the quarterfinals.

Yashaswini Ghorpade delivers twice

One of the biggest positives for India was the performance of Yashaswini Ghorpade, who won both of her matches during the tie. Her contributions proved crucial in keeping India in control of the contest and ultimately setting up the opportunity for Sreeja to finish the job in the fifth match.

For a team event, where every individual rubber can determine the final outcome, winning twice in a five-match tie is particularly valuable. Ghorpade’s performance also adds to the growing importance of India's younger players on the continental stage. Her ability to deliver under pressure against Thailand provided India with the platform it needed to remain in contention throughout the contest.

With the tie eventually reaching the fifth match, the responsibility fell on Sreeja Akula. The Indian paddler responded with a crucial performance, defeating her opponent 3-1 to seal the overall tie for India.

Sreeja’s victory brought the contest to an end after nearly three hours of intense competition. The win was particularly significant because India had to recover from the pressure of being pushed to a deciding match. Rather than allowing the occasion to dictate the outcome, Sreeja produced the performance India needed to close out the tie.

Her victory triggered the celebrations as India completed a 3-2 win and secured its place in the quarterfinals.

India’s reward for overcoming Thailand is a quarterfinal clash against North Korea later in the day. The next round presents another significant challenge, with India now just one team victory away from securing a place on the Asian Games podium.

A victory in the quarterfinal would guarantee India a medal in the women’s team event. That makes the upcoming contest considerably more important than the Round of 16. India will now have to recover quickly from a physically and mentally demanding three-hour battle against Thailand before taking on North Korea.

The team will nevertheless enter the quarterfinal with confidence after successfully navigating one of the most closely contested ties of its campaign so far.

The 3-2 scoreline underlines how closely matched the Round of 16 contest was. India needed contributions from multiple players to get across the line, with Ghorpade winning both of her matches and Sreeja delivering the decisive victory in the fifth match.

The result also demonstrates the importance of depth in the Asian Games team competition. A single defeat can put enormous pressure on the remaining players, while a player capable of producing two victories can fundamentally alter the course of a tie. India managed to combine both elements against Thailand.

Four years ago, Thailand ended India’s women’s team campaign in the Round of 16 with a 3-2 victory. This time, India returned the favour with the same scoreline.

The victory sends the Indian women’s team into the Asian Games 2026 quarterfinals, keeping its medal hopes firmly alive. The next challenge is North Korea, and the stakes are clear: win the quarterfinal and India will guarantee itself an Asian Games medal.

For now, however, India can celebrate a hard-earned victory that erased the disappointment of Hangzhou and kept the team’s Aichi-Nagoya campaign moving forward.

India 3-2 Thailand. Quarterfinals secured. North Korea next. And one victory away from the podium.