Asiad 2026: India’s eFootball medal hopes dashed by bizarre forfeit | Asian Games 2026

India’s hopes of securing a historic esports medal at the 2026 Asian Games came to an unusual end after Mongolia’s late arrival for their eFootball Group F match resulted in a forfeit — a decision that ultimately left India out of the qualification spots.

Danial Patel and Chinmay Sahoo were awarded a 0-0 win after the Mongolian team failed to meet the stipulated check-in time at the Aichi Sky Expo Centre. However, because the match was recorded as a goalless forfeit, India gained no advantage in goal difference and were unable to progress from the group stage.

India had started their campaign with a 0-0 draw against Uzbekistan in the three-team group. Uzbekistan then defeated Mongolia in both the mobile and console games, recording 6-3 and 12-0 victories, respectively, to finish with a goal difference of +15.

That left India needing a strong result against Mongolia to keep their hopes of advancing alive. Instead, the decisive match was never played.

Why was India awarded a 0-0 win?

Patel, who represented India in the mobile category, explained that Mongolia’s team leader arrived three minutes after the designated check-in time.

The competition regulations meant the late arrival was treated as a forfeit, with the organisers awarding India a 0-0 victory rather than allowing the teams to play.

How did the result eliminate India?

The unusual nature of the result meant India received the points associated with a victory but none of the goals that could have improved their goal difference.

Sahoo, India’s console player, said the Indian team had, therefore, been left with a goal difference of zero, while Uzbekistan’s earlier victories over Mongolia gave them a substantial advantage.

The 0-0 forfeit also meant India could not qualify as one of the highest-ranked second-placed teams.

Thailand eventually took one of those spots after finishing Group B with a +3 goal difference, while Saudi Arabia secured another after recording a +2 goal difference in Group A.

India, Thailand and Saudi Arabia had each finished their respective group stages with one victory, but India’s goal difference proved decisive in the qualification calculations.

India protested the decision

The Indian contingent did raise an objection after the forfeit was awarded.

Sahoo said the players wanted to play the match rather than accept an automatic victory because playing could have given India the opportunity to improve their goal difference.

However, officials told the Indian team that the regulations required a forfeit because Mongolia had arrived late.

India were also informed that they could seek a review from a panel of judges by paying $500.

The Indian players decided against pursuing that option because, according to Sahoo, the regulations already clearly classified a late arrival as a forfeit, and the review would not necessarily have solved India’s qualification problem.

Why did India need a bigger winning margin?

Sahoo explained that the 0-0 forfeit was not sufficient for India to overtake the teams competing for the best second-place positions.

For India to remain in contention, he indicated that the walkover would have needed to be recorded with a much bigger scoreline, effectively giving them a significant boost to their goal difference.

Without that advantage, India remained on a goal difference of zero and could not progress despite being awarded the victory.

A major setback for Patel and Sahoo

The early exit is particularly disappointing for Patel, who arrived at the Asian Games as the reigning Asian eFootball champion.

Patel had won the mobile title at the FIFAe Continental Championship earlier this year, making him one of India’s strongest medal prospects in the discipline.

A deep run in Aichi-Nagoya could also have given Patel and Sahoo an opportunity to become India’s first esports medallists at the Asian Games.

India had failed to win an esports medal at the 2022 Asian Games, when esports featured as an official medal sport for the first time. At the 2018 edition, when esports was only a demonstration event, Tirth Mehta had won a bronze medal in Hearthstone