Anahat Singh, Abhay Singh make Asian Games squash history with twin finals

India will have two players contesting the individual squash finals at the same Asian Games for the first time after Anahat Singh and Abhay Singh won contrasting semifinals in Aichi-Nagoya.

Anahat produced a dramatic five-game comeback against Japan’s Satomi Watanabe in the women’s singles, while Abhay controlled his men’s semifinal against Pakistan’s Muhammad Ashab Irfan in straight games. Their victories guarantee India at least two silver medals and create the possibility of an unprecedented individual squash double.

Why the two finalists mark an Indian first

India has previously sent men into the Asian Games singles final, with Saurav Ghosal among the country’s leading individual medallists. Indian women have also reached the singles podium, but none had advanced to the gold-medal match before Anahat.

The 2026 edition has therefore produced two milestones at once: Anahat is India’s first women’s singles finalist, and she and Abhay are the first Indians to represent the country in both individual squash finals at one Asian Games.

The achievement also reflects the growing depth of the Indian programme. The finalists represent different stages of that progress: 18-year-old Anahat is one of the sport’s fastest-rising young players, while 28-year-old Abhay has developed into a more composed contender after playing an important role in India’s men’s team gold at Hangzhou.

Anahat completes a remarkable escape

Anahat’s semifinal against home favourite Watanabe appeared to be slipping away when the Japanese world No. 6 won the opening two games. The Indian lost them 9-11 and 11-13 before facing two match balls at 8-10 in the third.

She also needed medical attention following contact between the players during the match. Anahat returned to the court, saved both match balls and took the third game 12-10, transforming the contest.

With Watanabe under increasing pressure, Anahat became more assertive at the front of the court and began converting openings into winners. She claimed the fourth game 11-6 and dominated the decider 11-3, completing a 9-11, 11-13, 12-10, 11-6, 11-3 victory in 51 minutes.

The result was especially significant because Anahat had never previously defeated an opponent ranked as highly as Watanabe. It also reversed the outcome of their five-game meeting earlier in 2026.

Abhay advances in straight games

Abhay followed with a far more direct route through his semifinal. The second seed immediately imposed himself against Irfan, racing through the opening game 11-3.

The Pakistani offered greater resistance in the second and pushed Abhay beyond the regulation 11-point mark. The Indian stayed patient to win it 12-10 before closing the match 11-6 in the third. His 11-3, 12-10, 11-6 victory was completed in 35 minutes.

Abhay had also been efficient in the quarterfinals, where he defeated Japan’s Ryunosuke Tsukue 11-4, 11-3, 11-6. That sequence of straight-game wins has allowed him to reach the final without the physical and emotional demands of a five-game contest.

Finals bring two India-Malaysia contests

Abhay will face Malaysia’s top seed and defending champion Ng Eain Yow in the men’s singles final at 12:30 pm IST on Sunday, September 27. Eain Yow booked his place by beating Pakistan’s Noor Zaman 11-7, 11-2, 11-4 in a 20-minute semifinal.

Anahat will then meet Malaysia’s Sivasangari Subramaniam in the women’s final at 1:30 pm IST. The defending champion defeated Hong Kong’s Chan Sin Yuk 11-6, 11-8, 11-7 in the other semifinal.

Sivasangari enters as the top seed and won her most recent meeting with Anahat at the London Squash Classic earlier in September. Anahat’s comeback against Watanabe, however, demonstrated that she can remain dangerous even when the momentum and rankings favour her opponent.

Both finals will be played at the Nagoya Kinjo-Futo Arena. The stakes extend beyond the Asian Games medals, with the singles champions also set to secure direct qualification places for squash’s Olympic debut at the Los Angeles 2028 Games.

India has never won an Asian Games singles gold in squash. On Sunday, it will have two opportunities to change that record.