Nagoya, September 27: India’s squash players came within one match of two Asian Games titles on Sunday, but Malaysia swept both singles finals at the Nagoya Kinjo Futo Arena. Eighteen-year-old Anahat Singh lost the women’s final to Sivasangari Subramaniam, and Abhay Singh was beaten by Ng Eain Yow in the men’s final. Both Indians settled for silver. Later in the day, Tejaswin Shankar won decathlon bronze and Ancy Sojan took long jump silver, lifting India’s haul further.
Key highlights
- Women’s final: Anahat Singh lost 4-11, 4-11, 7-11 to Malaysia’s Sivasangari Subramaniam in 27 minutes.
- Men’s final: Abhay Singh lost 9-11, 5-11, 5-11 to Malaysia’s Ng Eain Yow, the world No. 17.
- Two silvers: Anahat’s silver was India’s 32nd medal of the Games (4 gold, 14 silver, 14 bronze at that point), according to NewsX.
- Athletics: Tejaswin Shankar won decathlon bronze with 7,934 points, and Ancy Sojan took long jump silver with 6.53m.
- Olympic stakes: With squash making its Olympic debut at Los Angeles 2028, both finals carried extra weight. The Tribune reported that Abhay missed the Olympic qualification spot reserved for the gold medallist.
Anahat outplayed by Sivasangari
Anahat, one of the brightest young players in Indian squash, never found her rhythm against the experienced Malaysian. Sivasangari took the first two games 11-4, 11-4. Anahat fought harder in the third, but lost it 7-11 as the match ended in 27 minutes, according to The Tribune and NewsX.
A straight-games defeat in a final is disappointing, but a continental silver at 18 is a strong marker. Outlook India called her run to the final a proud moment for Indian squash. For Anahat, the gap to players like Sivasangari is now clear: consistency under pressure over a full match, which usually comes with more top-level experience on the PSA World Tour.
Abhay pushes Ng in the first game
The men’s final was closer at the start. Abhay, ranked 26th in the world, stayed with Ng Eain Yow through the opening game before losing it 9-11. The world No. 17 then pulled away, taking the next two games 11-5, 11-5, according to The Tribune.
Abhay had reached the final by beating Pakistan’s Muhammad Irfan 11-3, 12-10, 11-6 in the semi-finals, NewsX reported. The Tribune noted that he is only the second Indian man to reach an Asian Games singles final.
Why the gold mattered more this time
Squash will be part of the Olympic programme for the first time at Los Angeles 2028. The Tribune reported that the Asian Games gold carried an Olympic qualification spot, which Abhay missed with the defeat. That makes these two losses more costly than a normal final: India’s players will now have to secure Olympic places through the other qualification routes over the next two years.
Malaysia’s double also underlines how strong the country remains in the sport, even after the retirement of its biggest past stars. For India, which has traditionally relied on team events and doubles for Asian Games squash medals, having two singles finalists is a sign of depth.
Tejaswin Shankar and Ancy Sojan add athletics medals
Later on Sunday, India added two more medals in athletics. Tejaswin Shankar, the national record holder, won bronze in the men’s decathlon with 7,934 points. According to NewsX, Japan’s Yuma Maruyama took gold with 8,123 points and China’s Chen Xinghua won silver with 8,012, leaving Tejaswin 78 points short of second place. Deccan Chronicle reported that he finished the two-day event by winning the final 1500m race in 4:33.09.
In the women’s long jump, Ancy Sojan won silver with a leap of 6.53m, just two centimetres behind China’s Huang Yingying (6.55m), NewsX reported. China’s Tan Mengyi took bronze with 6.46m, while India’s Shaili Singh finished a close fourth with 6.42m.
In boxing, Parveen Hooda and Ankush Panghal both won their bouts 5-0 to make sure of at least a medal each, according to NewsX.
India’s medal picture
Sunday’s medals add to a Games in which India has collected medals across shooting, athletics, kabaddi, weightlifting and more. India’s men’s and women’s kabaddi teams both won gold earlier in the week (read our report), and our morning update tracked the medal count as it passed 30 (India’s medal tally update).
The gold count, however, remains low for a squad of India’s size. Converting finals into titles, as Malaysia did twice on Sunday, is the difference between a good Games and a great one.
What’s next
- Parveen Hooda’s and Ankush Panghal’s boxing semi-finals, with both already assured of a medal.
- India’s updated medal table after Day 8, including Sunday’s squash and athletics medals.
- Whether India can turn more finals into gold in the second week.
Sources / References
- The Tribune: Anahat Singh settles for silver, loses squash singles final
- NewsX: Anahat Singh settles for silver after straight-games loss
- Outlook India: Anahat Singh wins silver
- NewsX: Tejaswin Shankar wins decathlon bronze, Ancy Sojan claims long jump silver
- Deccan Chronicle: Tejaswin Shankar wins bronze in men’s decathlon
- India.com: Abhay Singh settles for silver after 3-0 loss to Ng Eain Yow
The Sports Desk covers cricket, the Asian Games and Indian and international sport. Stories are checked against at least two credible sources before publication.
