Nagoya: India’s Anahat Singh and Abhay Singh secured silver medals in the women’s and men’s singles squash events at the Asian Games 2026 after both lost their respective finals to Malaysian opponents on Sunday.

Anahat went down 4-11, 4-11, 7-11 to defending champion Sivasangari Subramaniam, while Abhay was beaten 9-11, 5-11, 5-11 by defending champion Ng Eain Yow. The results gave India two silver medals from the individual squash events but extended the country’s wait for an Asian Games singles gold in the sport.

The two finals were also significant for the Los Angeles 2028 Olympics. Malaysia’s Sivasangari and Ng Eain Yow secured the first squash qualification quotas for LA28 through their Asian Games gold medals.

Anahat beaten by Sivasangari in straight games

Eighteen-year-old Anahat Singh entered the women’s singles final after a strong run in Nagoya but could not overcome Malaysia’s world No. 5 Sivasangari Subramaniam.

The Indian lost the opening game 4-11 and was unable to build momentum in the second, which also ended 4-11 in favour of the Malaysian. Anahat showed greater resistance in the third game, but Sivasangari maintained control to close out the contest 11-7.

The straight-games victory allowed Sivasangari to retain the Asian Games women’s singles title. Anahat’s silver, meanwhile, added another medal to India’s squash campaign at the Games.

Anahat had earned her place in the final by defeating Japan’s Satomi Watanabe in the semifinal. Her run to the gold-medal match marked an important performance in the singles competition, even though she ultimately had to settle for silver.

Abhay Singh falls to defending champion

In the men’s singles final, Abhay Singh faced another defending Malaysian champion in Ng Eain Yow.

The Indian, ranked No. 26 in the world, stayed competitive during the opening game but lost it 9-11. Ng then tightened his control over the contest, taking the second game 11-5 before completing the straight-games victory with another 11-5 scoreline.

The 28-year-old Abhay had reached the final after defeating Pakistan’s Muhammad Irfan 11-3, 12-10, 11-6 in the semifinal. His victory over Irfan made him only the second Indian man after Saurav Ghosal to reach an Asian Games singles final.

Abhay had also enjoyed a productive 2026 season before the Asian Games. He won the Indian Open in Mumbai and claimed his third Tuanku Muhriz Trophy title in Malaysia. He was also part of India’s gold-winning team at the 2025 SDAT Squash World Cup in Chennai.

Olympic qualification slips away

Abhay’s silver medal also carried an additional significance because the men’s singles gold medal at the Asian Games was linked to qualification for the Los Angeles 2028 Olympics, where squash will make its Olympic debut.

The qualification opportunity ultimately went to Ng Eain Yow after his victory over Abhay. The Malaysian successfully defended his Asian Games title and secured an early LA28 berth.

Abhay had reached a career-high PSA ranking of No. 22 in April 2026 and was ranked No. 26 at the time of the Asian Games. He was also the second seed in the men’s singles draw and had progressed through the knockout stages with convincing performances.

India adds two squash silvers

The two individual silver medals add to India’s squash haul at the Asian Games. Joshna Chinappa and Velavan Senthilkumar had earlier won a bronze medal in mixed doubles, giving India three squash medals from the competition so far.

India’s singles campaign therefore ended without a gold medal, but with both Anahat and Abhay reaching their respective finals. The results also highlighted Malaysia’s strength in Asian Games squash, with Sivasangari and Ng Eain Yow successfully defending their singles titles.

For Anahat, the silver provides another significant result at the international level at just 18 years of age. For Abhay, the men’s singles silver represents a second-place finish after a run that included a straight-games semifinal win over Pakistan’s Irfan.

The Asian Games squash competition will continue with team events, giving India further opportunities to add to its medal tally in the sport.