Kazakh doubles teams, arriving in Japan from the BJK Cup team event in China, made a successful start in the doubles draw of the tennis tournament at the 2026 Asian Games, according to infohub.kz.

Zhibek Kulambayeva and Sonya Zheyenbayeva gave the Tajik pair Sumaya Tukhtaeva/Anisa Yakhyaeva no chance, posting two bagel sets.

Anna Danilina and Yulia Putintseva met fierce resistance from Rutuja Bhosale and Ankita Raina. The eighth-seeded Indian pair took the first set from the Kazakhs and led in the second. Anna and Yulia had to dig deep to level the match and then snatch victory in a super tiebreak, 10-5.

ASIAN GAMES 2026

Tennis. September 28

Women. Doubles. Round of 32

🎾 Anna DANILINA (6)/Yulia PUTINTSEVA (351) (Kazakhstan) – Rutuja BHOSALE (122)/Ankita RAINA (160) (India) 5-7, 6-3, 10-5

🎾 Zhibek KULAMBAYEVA (108)/Sonya ZHEYENBAYEVA (384) (Kazakhstan) – Sumaya TUKHTAEVA/Anisa YAKHYAEVA (Tajikistan) 6-0, 6-0

The day before, all members of the Kazakhstan national team, including those named above, won their opening matches in other events.

The 10th Summer Asian Games officially opened on September 19 and will close on October 4. Athletes from 45 countries are competing for 460 sets of medals. Kazakhstan's team at the 2026 Asian Games comprises 558 athletes in 35 sports.

On the first day of the Games, Kazakhstan won four gold medals. Cyclists Rinata Sultanova and Alexey Lutsenko became champions, as did karatekas Zholaman Bigabyl and Sofya Berultseva. MMA fighter Yerkingali Burkutalin added a fifth gold to the team's tally. A sixth came from his fellow mixed martial arts teammate Kadyrbek Shynbayev. On September 23, Lutsenko became a two-time champion of the 2026 Asian Games. The eighth gold was claimed on September 24 by rowers Vladislav Yakovlev and Ivan Chernukhin in the men's coxless pairs. The ninth gold went to Kazakhstan's epee fencing team.

The gold in race walking won by Yasmina Toksanbayeva was awarded to China after a protest regarding the Kazakh athlete's footwear was upheld.

After eight days of the Games, Kazakhstan was fifth in the unofficial medal standings.