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Indian squash stars Anahat Singh and Abhay Singh will be on the verge of making history on Sunday when they take on Malaysian opponents in the women's and men's singles gold-medal matches at the Asian Games, with victory also bringing an Olympic qualification spot for the Los Angeles 2028 Games.
Anahat will face Malaysia's Sivasangari Subramaniam in the women's singles final at 1:30 pm IST, while Abhay will take on Malaysia's Ng Eain Yow in the men's singles gold-medal match at 12:30 pm. The two finals offer India the chance to claim its first individual Asian Games gold medal in squash while also securing a place at the sport's Olympic debut at LA 2028. At just 18, Anahat has already established herself as one of India's leading squash players. The Delhi-based teenager won two bronze medals at the 2022 Asian Games in Hangzhou, in the women's team and mixed doubles events. She announced herself on the senior international stage even earlier, becoming the youngest member of India's contingent at the 2022 Commonwealth Games in Birmingham. Anahat also registered a win on her CWG debut, defeating Jada Ross of St Vincent and the Grenadines in the women's singles Round of 64. Her latest Asian Games run has underlined her ability to perform under pressure. In the semifinal, Anahat fought back from two games down to defeat Japan's world No. 6 Satomi Watanabe 9-11, 11-13, 12-10, 11-6, 11-3. She was also forced to receive medical attention after a collision with Watanabe but returned to complete one of the biggest comebacks of her young career. Standing alongside her in Sunday's historic double bid is 28-year-old Abhay, India's highest-ranked male professional squash player. Born in Chennai, Abhay reached a career-high PSA ranking of No. 22 in April 2026 and is currently ranked No. 26. An Arjuna Award recipient in 2024, he has emerged as a key member of India's national squad. Abhay booked his place in the Asian Games final with a convincing 11-3, 12-10, 11-6 win over Pakistan's Muhammad Irfan in the semifinals. He became only the second Indian man after Saurav Ghosal to reach the Asian Games men's singles final. His recent record has also included significant success, with Abhay helping India win the 2025 SDAT Squash World Cup in Chennai and claiming the Indian Open in Mumbai and his third Tuanku Muhriz Trophy title in Malaysia in 2026. India already has a squash medal from the Games, with Joshna Chinappa and Velavan Senthilkumar securing bronze in mixed doubles. For Joshna, it was her sixth Asian Games medal. Now, the spotlight shifts to Anahat and Abhay. A victory for either would deliver an individual Asian Games squash gold for India and a place at the 2028 Olympics, making Sunday's finals significant milestones in their respective careers and for Indian squash. (ANI)
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