Aichi-Nagoya, Sept. 20 -- Indian wushu athlete Aparna Dahiya suffered a 0-2 defeat to Iran's Sogand Sinkaeichetan in the women's 52kg Sanda Round of 16 at the Asian Games 2026 on Sunday.

Aparna, who won gold at the 11th Sanda World Cup in Macau in May, lost both rounds by a 5-0 scoreline as Sinkaeichetan advanced to the next stage.

The Indian had entered the continental competition following an impressive run at the World Cup, where she defeated reigning world champion Thi Phuong Nga Ngo of Vietnam in straight sets to claim the gold medal.

The victory in Macau was India's first gold at the 11th edition of the Sanda World Cup. Aparna, who hails from Silana village in Haryana and comes from a farmer's family, had also avenged her earlier...