Al-Aidan advances to the table tennis semifinals at the Asian Games

Nagoya – Olympic Committee: Kuwaiti national team badminton player Zaid Al-Aidan has advanced to the semifinals of the 20th Asian Games, Aichi-Nagoya 2026, being hosted in Japan until October 4 next. Al-Aidan achieved a distinguished run in the men’s singles badminton competition following strong performances in the group stage and the quarterfinals. In Group A of the qualifying round, Al-Aidan played four matches, securing three wins out of four, which was enough to advance to the knockout stage. He defeated Myanmar 2-0, Mongolia 2-0, and Kyrgyzstan 2-0, while suffering a single loss to Iraq 0-2.

In the quarterfinal, Al-Aidan defeated Japan with a decisive 2-0 score, securing his place in the medal contention and confirming his technical and physical readiness for the semifinal match scheduled for tomorrow, Saturday. Al-Aidan’s advancement is a notable achievement for Kuwait in badminton, a relatively new sport on the Asian stage, as he continues to raise his country’s profile in the continent’s largest sporting event by competing for a place on the podium.

Additionally, the men’s doubles pair of Basel Ahmed and Abdulwahab Al-Qattan have also advanced to the semifinals. This progression followed an outstanding performance by the duo, who confidently overcame the qualifying hurdles, demonstrating their high level of readiness and competitiveness for a podium finish. Basel Ahmed and Abdulwahab Al-Qattan are set to face the Lebanese team in the semifinal tomorrow, Saturday. Meanwhile, the mixed doubles pair of Salman Al-Ibrahim and Hessa Al-Filkaawi will begin their Asian campaign in the mixed doubles competition at 7:00 a.m.

The Olympic Committee delegation made every effort to provide all forms of support and attended the training sessions of Kuwait’s Olympic football team ahead of today’s match against Uzbekistan. Present at the training were Ali Al-Mari, Assistant Secretary-General of the Olympic Committee; Lieutenant General (Retired) Mohammed Al-Khalafan, Head of the Kuwaiti delegation and Director-General of the Olympic Committee; and Dr. Hussein Al-Saied, Deputy Head of the delegation. Delegation members met with the technical and administrative staff as well as the players before the start of the training session, reaffirming their support and strong confidence in the players’ ability to deliver a dignified performance that meets the expectations of the fans. The players and coaching staff appreciated this motivational visit, which serves as a significant moral boost to double their efforts and give their best in the match.