September 21 Live: Wushu final underway, India face Japan in sepaktakraw

Hello and welcome to our live coverage of India's campaign at the Asian Games for Monday, September 21.

Here's the full schedule for Indian athletes today.

The Indian team will be in action Sepaktakraw as they face Japan in Men's Regu in Group B. The players have lined up for the match, taking place on court 2. A few "Bharat mata ki jai" chants ring around the arena just before we get underway.

Sepak Takraw is a traditional Southeast Asian sport that combines elements of volleyball and football. Its name translates to “kick ball”, reflecting the unique way the game is played. Two teams, each consisting of three players, compete on a court similar to a volleyball court, with a net separating them.

The biggest difference from volleyball is that players cannot use their hands. Instead, they must rely on their feet, head, knees and chest to control the ball, send it over the net and score points against their opponents.

The Asian Games in Aichi-Nagoya got off to a lively start for India, with the opening day bringing medals, historic moments, dominant wins and a few frustrating near misses.

Two silver medals went into India's tally, while the country also secured another medal in a sport making its Asian Games debut. The women's cricket team booked their place in the gold-medal match, and both the men's and women's hockey teams opened their campaigns in emphatic fashion.

But the numbers only tell part of the story.

At the shooting range, Elavenil Valarivan came remarkably close to rewriting the Asian Games record in the women's 10m air rifle. She finished just 0.6 points short of the mark, while also securing two silver medals in the event.

Elsewhere, Suchika Tariyal made history by guaranteeing India a medal in MMA, which is featuring at the Asian Games for the first time. Her run to the women's traditional 60kg semi-finals ensured at least a bronze, adding another significant milestone to India's opening day.

The cricket field produced another headline moment. Shafali Verma smashed a century in the women's semi-final against Bangladesh, setting a new benchmark at the Asian Games as India powered into the final and kept their gold-medal hopes alive.

The hockey teams provided more reasons for optimism. Both India's men's and women's sides began their respective campaigns with commanding victories, setting the tone for what could be long runs in the tournament.

It wasn't all smooth sailing, though. Quimcy Dsouza narrowly missed out on what could have been two teqball bronze medals, while the men's table tennis team suffered an early setback. India's wushu contingent also finished the day without a medal.

Still, the opening day made one thing clear: India's Asian Games story in Aichi-Nagoya is already about much more than the shooting range. There have been records chased, history made, finals booked and plenty of promising starts — with a lot more still to come.

India's Aadhya Tiwari and Jay Meena will be taking Cambodia's Viva Chao and Chanroseka Khun in soft tennis. The Indian duo will be taking part in all of their Group games today and the semi-finals and final are set to start from 12 pm onwards. If you're wondering how soft tennis works, here's what the sport is all about.

Soft tennis is a racket sport that traces its roots to Japan and differs from conventional tennis mainly through the equipment and scoring system. Instead of a standard tennis ball, players use a lighter rubber ball, which allows them to generate different types of shots through changes in spin, pace and placement.

The game is played on a court of the same dimensions as a regular tennis court. However, the scoring is more straightforward, with points progressing as 1, 2, 3 and so on. A player or pair needs to win four points to take a game. In a best-of-nine format, the first side to win five games takes the match.

The lightweight ball also makes conditions an important factor. Wind and other elements can have a greater impact on its movement, meaning players need to adjust their approach during a match. Reading the conditions and changing shot selection, pace and spin accordingly can therefore be crucial to success.

Wushu will once again kick off proceedings for India with Nyeman Wangsu eyeing a medal in Women's Changquan event. It is a star-studded lineup and the Indian star will be performing at No.14 today.

The Asian Games action is set to come thick and fast on Monday, with India involved across shooting, table tennis, hockey, kabaddi, badminton, boxing, MMA, wushu and swimming.

The shooting range will be one of the first places to watch. The men's 10m air rifle qualification gets the day underway, with Himanshu Dhillon, Parth Rakesh Mane and Rudrankksh Balasaheb Patil aiming to book their places in the final. The skeet competitions will then take centre stage, with Parinaaz Dhaliwal, Raiza Dhillon and Maheshwari Chauhan in the women's event, while Mairaj Ahmad Khan, Anant Jeet Singh Naruka and Bhavtegh Singh Gill begin their men's campaign.

There is also a busy day ahead in the team events. India face Pakistan in both the men's and women's table tennis competitions, making those contests among the most closely watched clashes of the day. The women's hockey team will take on Indonesia, while India's kabaddi teams face Japan and Bangladesh. The men's badminton team will also get its Asian Games campaign underway against Bangladesh.

For individual athletes, there is plenty to keep an eye on too. Suchika Tariyal will be looking to continue her historic run when she faces Singapore's Teo Hui Hoon in the women's traditional -60kg MMA semifinal. A win would take India's first Asian Games MMA medallist one step closer to another major moment.

In boxing, Sumit begins his campaign against Thailand's Sinsiri Bunjong, while Roshibina Devi and Aryan will be in action in wushu later in the afternoon.

The swimming programme starts in the morning, with Rishabh Das, Srihari Nataraj, Akash Mani, Heer Gitesh Shah and Danush Suresh among the Indians featuring in the heats. The men's 4x200m freestyle relay will also be on the programme.

And for those looking for an early start, soft tennis pair Aadhya Tiwari and Jay Meena have three group matches lined up, with their first match scheduled for 5.30am.

With medals, knockout spots and campaigns all on the line, Monday has plenty packed into the schedule for Indian fans to follow.