Japan and China Secure Places in Asian Games Women’s Softball Medal Round
Sports Correspondent: Imran Sohail
Japan and China maintained perfect records on Day 5 of the women’s softball tournament at the Aichi-Nagoya 2026 Asian Games, securing their places in Saturday’s medal games.
Both teams improved to 5-0 after recording two victories at Anjo Softball Ground on Wednesday.
Japan started the day with a dominant 10-0 victory over Singapore in four innings. The hosts scored five runs in the second inning and added another five in the fourth.
Hotaru Tsukamoto and Eri Shimoyama each recorded two hits and two RBIs. Pitcher Saki Miwa also played a key role, allowing just one hit during four scoreless innings.
Japan later defeated Korea 8-0 in six innings. Pitcher Mio Goto delivered a perfect game, retiring all 18 batters she faced while recording nine strikeouts.
Rina Kawamura went 4-for-4 and scored three runs, while Minori Naito collected two hits and two RBIs. Yui Nakamizo also hit a solo home run.
China also enjoyed a successful day, beginning with a narrow 5-4 win over Chinese Taipei.
China built a 5-0 advantage before Chinese Taipei scored four runs in the fifth inning. Yu Sang hit a three-run home run for China, while Feng-Chen Lin responded with a three-run homer for Chinese Taipei.
China then defeated Hong Kong, China 12-2 in five innings, collecting 19 hits. Ying Lu drove in three runs, while Min Ren, Meng Wang and Yu Sang each recorded three hits.
Chinese Taipei bounced back from their defeat with a 22-1 win over Thailand in four innings. The team produced 20 hits, with Chia-Wen Shen going 4-for-4.
Korea also recorded a victory, beating Hong Kong, China 7-1. Sujin Jung drove in three runs, while pitcher Siyeon Hong allowed one run on two hits over five innings.
The Philippines improved their record to 3-2 after defeating Singapore 10-0 in four innings. Mylia Isabel Perez and Nicole Adra Hammoude both hit two-run home runs.
After five games, Japan and China lead the standings with 5-0 records. Chinese Taipei are third at 4-1, followed by the Philippines at 3-2. Korea are 2-3, while Hong Kong, China are 1-4. Singapore and Thailand remain winless at 0-5.
The preliminary round will continue on Thursday, followed by the final group-stage games on Friday.
The top four teams will advance to Saturday’s medal games, with the bronze and gold medal matches scheduled to take place at Anjo Softball Ground
