Asian Games 2026: Anahat Singh And Abhay Singh Win Silver Medals In Squash

India’s squash campaign picked up two more medals on Sunday as Anahat Singh and Abhay Singh settled for silver after losing their respective Asian Games singles finals to Malaysian opponents.

Abhay, ranked 26, lost the men’s singles final to Eain Yow Ng in straight games 9-11, 5-11, 5-11. Anahat, 18, also went down in straight games as the 17th ranked Indian lost 4-11, 4-11, 7-11 to world number five Sivasangari Subramaniam in the women’s final.

The twin runner-up finishes still matter for India. Anahat became the first Indian to reach the women’s singles final in Asian Games history, while India are also expected to win medals in team events.

Men's Final Defeat

Yow stayed in control.

The world number 18 proved too strong for Abhay from the start and defended his gold medal with a commanding display. Abhay could not match the Malaysian’s class and consistency and never really threatened after dropping the opening game.

The Indian lost 9-11, 5-11, 5-11 in the men’s singles final. It was Abhay’s eighth defeat to Yow and another reminder of the gap he still needs to bridge at this level.

Anahat's Historic Run

Anahat ran into a better plan.

Sivasangari, the world number five, beat the Indian fair and square in the women’s singles final. The Malaysian did not allow Anahat to dish out a string of winners and kept up the pressure with relentless attack through the match.

That shut the door on another comeback. Anahat had fought back against world number six Satomi Watanabe of Japan in the semifinal on Saturday, but she could not repeat that effort in the final.

Sivasangari had closely watched that Anahat-Satomi semifinal and appeared to come in with a clear strategy, which she executed cleanly. Anahat lost 4-11, 4-11, 7-11, but the run still marked a landmark week for Indian squash.

The 18-year-old is already the first Indian to win the world junior title. She also went past Joshna Chinappa and Dipika Pallikal to become the first Indian to reach the women’s singles final in Asian Games history.

Olympic Qualification And Team Hopes

The Malaysian winners made more history.

Both Yow and Sivasangari defended their Asian Games gold medals and also became the first two squash athletes to qualify for the sport’s Olympic debut in Los Angeles in 2028.

India’s campaign is not over yet. The team events still offer medal chances and the men's side go into the competition as defending champions.