Asian Games 2026: India Beat Pakistan 3-0 To Secure Quarterfinal Berth In Women's TT Amid Friendly Handshakes

India blanked Pakistan 3-0 in women's table tennis at the Asian Games 2026, and both sides exchanged handshakes after every match. The win sent India into the quarterfinals.

The handshake moments stood out because India and Pakistan meetings have drawn attention in other sports. Here, there was no visible issue as players from both sides greeted each other after every rubber.

India’s women had already opened their campaign by beating Singapore 3-2. The Indian men’s team will also face Pakistan later in the day.

India's Clean Sweep

India were in control from the start. Suthirtha Mukherjee, Syndrela Das and Sreeja Akula won their singles matches to seal the tie without dropping a game.

Mukherjee gave India a 1-0 lead with a 3-0 win over Aleena Khan. She took the match 11-3, 11-3, 11-4. Cameras then showed the Indian and Pakistani paddlers shaking hands after the contest.

Das kept the pressure on. She beat Kalsoom Khan 11-6, 11-7, 11-5 to put India 2-0 ahead and within one match of the tie. Akula then finished the job against Fatima Khan, winning 11-4, 11-4, 11-5 to wrap up another 3-0 result for India.

Handshake Context In Cricket

The Table Tennis tie offered a different image from cricket. India have followed a strict no-handshake policy with Pakistan in cricket since the Pahalgam terror attack last year.

Since then, Indian captains and players have not shaken hands with their counterparts before or after matches in cricket. That backdrop made the post-match greetings in table tennis notable.

Other sports have played out differently. At the Hockey World Cup, Indian players were seen high-fiving their Pakistan counterparts before the match began.