Photo via Hindustan Times

A 0-0 win, a $500 review and Asian Games heartbreak: How Mongolia's no-show cost India's eFootball medal hopes

India's eFootball campaign at the 2026 Asian Games came to a disappointing end due to a bizarre series of events involving Mongolia. After an opening goalless draw against Uzbekistan, Indian competitors Danial Patel and Chinamy Sahoo needed a decisive outcome in their next fixture to advance.

However, their Mongolian opponents arrived three minutes past the required deadline, triggering a default ruling from tournament officials.

While the resulting technical victory tied India with Uzbekistan on group points, it did not grant the goal difference boost necessary to surpass their rivals. The duo opted against pursuing a formal $500 adjudicative review because they realized even a favorable standard walkover would not secure enough goals for qualification, ultimately ending their pursuit of an esports podium finish.