Anahat Singh Wins Historic Silver at Asian Games 2026 After Loss to Malaysia's Sivasangari in Women's Squash Singles Final, Becoming First Indian to Reach Final

India's 18-year-old squash sensation Anahat Singh won a silver medal at the Asian Games 2026 on September 27, 2026, after a hard-fought defeat to Malaysia's world number five Sivasangari Subramaniam in the women's singles final in Aichi-Nagoya, Japan. Anahat fell 4-11, 4-11, 7-11 to the top-tier Malaysian in a match that lasted just 27 minutes, with Sivasangari's relentless attack neutralizing Anahat's trademark winners after studying her dramatic semifinal comeback win over Japan's Satomi Watanabe. Despite missing out on the gold and the LA 2028 Olympic qualification spot reserved for the singles gold medalist, it was a historic milestone for Anahat, who surpassed legends Joshna Chinappa and Dipika Pallikal to become the first Indian ever to reach a women's singles final at the Asian Games. India's Abhay Singh also won silver in the men's singles final on the same day, losing 9-11, 5-11, 5-11 to Malaysia's Ng Eain Yow, the reigning Asian Games champion and world number 17, in a straight-game defeat that also cost him the Olympic qualification spot. The 28-year-old Abhay became only the second Indian man after Saurav Ghosal to reach an Asian Games singles final.

The two silver medals brought India's squash medal count at the Asian Games 2026 to three, with Joshna Chinappa and Velavan Senthilkumar having earlier won bronze in mixed doubles. India are also expected to win medals in team events, with the men's team going into the competition as defending champion. Squash makes its Olympic debut at LA 2028, and the singles champions could secure Olympic quota places subject to qualification criteria including a ranking inside the PSA world top 50 on May 22, 2028. This is India's 32nd and 33rd medals at the ongoing Asian Games, with the country having won four gold medals, 16 silver, and 14 bronze medals as of September 27.

Sources

Sources: Olympics.com, Outlook India, Deccan Herald, ANI, ESPN, all published September 27, 2026. Match scores and times verified across multiple outlets.