The Kazakhstan men's badminton team lost to Japan in the first round of the team tournament at the 2026 Summer Asian Games, according to NUR.KZ. The match took place on September 21 in Ichinomiya and ended with a 3-0 victory for the Japanese team.
In the opening match, Kazakhstan's Dmitry Panarin faced Koki Watanabe. The Japanese representative won in two sets, 21-14 and 21-7. The match lasted 30 minutes. In the subsequent two matches, the Japanese badminton players defeated Maksut Tazhibullaev and Khaitmurat Kulmatov, securing a 3-0 victory.
Thus, the Kazakhstan men's team has completed its participation in the team competition. Meanwhile, Kazakhstani badminton players will continue to compete for medals at the Asian Games in individual and doubles events.
Pictured: Dmitry Panarin. Photo: Sali Sabirov / National Olympic Committee of the Republic of Kazakhstan
