India secured a place at the 2026 AFC Women’s Asian Cup with a 2–1 victory over hosts Thailand in Chiang Mai on Saturday. Midfielder Sangita Basfore struck twice to overturn an early deficit and lift the Blue Tigresses to the top of Group B, handing the side its first ever qualification through the tournament’s preliminary rounds. The result capped a decisive day across the continent. The Philippines edged Hong Kong 1–0 to win Group G, while Vietnam completed a perfect qualifying campaign by defeating Guam 4–0 to seal Group E. Pakistan stayed in contention by beating the Kyrgyz Republic 2–1 in Group D, but heavy wins for the United Arab Emirates, Timor-Leste, Cambodia and Laos served only as consolation as those teams were already out of the running. In a separate milestone for Asian sport, Hong Kong’s men qualified for the Rugby World Cup for the first time, overwhelming South Korea 70–22 in Incheon to claim the Asia Rugby Championship title and book a berth at the expanded 24-team tournament in Australia in 2027.