Anahat Singh has made it a habit of creating history, and the reigning junior World champion added another to her list on Saturday, becoming the first Indian woman to make the final of squash at the Asian Games.
On the men’s side, Abhay Singh too reached the final, with both Indians setting up title clashes with the reigning champions in their respective sections.
Anahat’s 3-2 win, coming in 51 minutes after being 2-0 down against World No. 6 and local favourite Satomi Watanabe, was incredible as much for her fightback as for her composure — the only time she had any reaction was after winning the third game that marked her remarkable turnaround, letting out a triumphant scream. It was also a contrast to the men’s semifinal that followed, with Abhay winning easily 3-0 in straight games against Pakistan’s Mohd. Irfan, with only a brief struggle towards the end of the second game.
The 18-year-old Anahat looked tentative starting out, trying to play cautious and content not letting her opponent run away with easy points. Satomi might have taken the first two games but she too was never completely in control, Anahat never letting the margin climb to more than three points at any time, despite a collision that saw Satomi nurse her shoulder and the Indian rubbing her jaw.
Trailing 10-8 in Game 3, Anahat played soft shots towards the bottom of the wall to level, was awarded a stroke for Satomi’s obstruction and then scored off another drop to reel off five straight points, take the game and begin a dominating comeback that Satomi had no answer to, ending in a 9-11, 11-13, 12-10, 11-6, 11-3 scoreline and a mix of smiles, relief and disbelief competing on Anahat’s face. She will now take on Malaysia’s World No. 5 Sivasangari Subramaniam, who beat Hong Kong’s Chan Sin Yuk 3-0 in the other semifinal.
ALSO READ | Anahat vs Sivasangari head-to-head record ahead of Asian Games 2026 squash final
Abhay, meanwhile, was always the favourite against Irfan, seeded second here and ranked more than 20 places above, but the women’s match had made it clear that rankings mattered little. Abhay controlled the proceedings from the word go and wrapped up the opening game 11-3 in nine minutes. Both players tried to keep the ball in play, indulging in long rallies and conserving energy.
The second game was a lot more intense, played at a much higher pace, with Irfan keeping the score level till 10-10 before losing 10-12. The third was again a one-sided affair, and the smile at the end of the 11-6 win from the top-ranked Indian said it all. Next up for a gold and an Olympic spot will be Malaysia’s Ng Eain Yow, who beat Pakistan’s Noor Zaman.
Earlier, Joshna Chinappa and Velavan Senthilkumar were practically robbed of a place in the mixed doubles final, having to settle for bronze. The duo fought back from a game down and looked like they had won their semifinal against Lee Ka Yi and Tang Ming Hong of Hong Kong before the winning point in the final game was overturned, eventually losing 10-11, 11-2, 10-11.
Published on Sep 26, 2026
