Alexandra Eala makes fast start as weather and transport woes hit Asian Games 2026

Alexandra Eala, the top seed and one of the leading contenders for gold, will meet Taiwan’s eighth seed Joanna Garland, who was born in Britain, in the quarter-finals.

Updated : Sep 28, 2026 21:44 IST , NAGOYA - 4 MINS READ

Alexandra Eala needed only 55 minutes to defeat Thailand’s Patcharin Cheapchandej, ranked 517th, 6-1, 6-0. | Photo Credit: Getty Images

Philippines tennis star Alexandra Eala began her Asian Games campaign in emphatic fashion on Monday, while persistent rain caused delays across Nagoya and organisers faced fresh criticism over logistical problems.

The world number 18 needed only 55 minutes to defeat Thailand’s Patcharin Cheapchandej, ranked 517th, 6-1, 6-0. The match was delayed by wet weather before being moved indoors to a smaller court.

Eala, the top seed and one of the leading contenders for gold, will meet Taiwan’s eighth seed Joanna Garland, who was born in Britain, in the quarter-finals. The 21-year-old made history last month by becoming the first Filipino player to win a WTA Tour title.

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In boxing, Taiwan’s Olympic champion Lin Yu-ting secured at least a bronze medal after defeating North Korea’s Won Un Gyong in the women’s 60kg division. The 30-year-old advanced to the semi-finals as she targets a second Asian Games gold.

Lin had previously revealed that she considered retiring after the Paris Olympics but decided to continue competing partly to answer those who challenged her eligibility. She and Algeria’s Imane Khelif were removed from the 2023 world championships by the International Boxing Association after it claimed they had failed unspecified gender eligibility tests.

The International Olympic Committee subsequently permitted both boxers to compete in Paris, describing the IBA’s decision as “a sudden and arbitrary decision”. Lin and Khelif went on to win Olympic gold medals.

Rain also disrupted the athletics programme, although Sri Lanka’s Rumesh Tharanga Pathirage enhanced his growing reputation by winning the men’s javelin title. China maintained its unbeaten record in diving, taking its overall gold-medal tally to 129 by Monday evening. Japan remained second in the standings, with South Korea in third.

India progressed against Afghanistan in the Asian Games cricket category after further rain made play impossible. | Photo Credit: PTI

India and Pakistan also stayed on course for a potential men’s cricket final after both quarter-finals were abandoned without a ball being bowled because of rain and a waterlogged outfield.

Pakistan advanced against Hong Kong under the tournament rules, which send the higher-seeded team through when a match is abandoned. India later progressed against Afghanistan after further rain made play impossible.

“We are here for the match but unfortunately it rained. The rain started yesterday, so hard luck for us. We would have been happy to play here with India -- our players are in form,” Afghanistan’s Mohammad Akram said.

“We played two matches here on this ground, so we know the condition very well. But unfortunately the rain has ruined everything.”

Sri Lanka will play Nepal, while Bangladesh will face Malaysia in the remaining quarter-finals on Tuesday. More rain is forecast, raising further concerns for the schedule. Softball has also suffered delays, while golf practice was affected ahead of its scheduled start on Wednesday.

The Games were hit by another organisational issue when the official bus carrying Pakistan’s men’s volleyball team took the players to the wrong venue. Their group match against Uzbekistan began 45 minutes late.

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“This is another mismanagement by Japan at the ongoing Asian Games,” Pakistan captain Murad Jehan said in an Instagram video filmed on the bus.

“We have a very important game and the bus driver does not know in which gymnasium we are going to play,” he said, alongside a caption that read, “Embarrassing situation at Japan Asian Games 2026. Totally unfair.”

He added, “We couldn’t expect this in Japan. There is a lot of mismanagement.”

The incident added to mounting criticism of the organisers, with athletes and teams already reporting problems involving accommodation and transport.