Anahat Singh loses final but makes history with squash silver at Asian Games

India's Anahat Singh faced Malaysia's S. Sivasangari in the final of the women's singles squash event at the 2026 Asian Games in Aichi-Nagoya, Japan. Anahat lost the gold medal match 4-11, 4-11, 7-11.

The 18-year-old's defeat cost her the gold, but Anahat Singh still became the first Indian woman to win a squash singles medal at the Asian Games with her silver.

In the final, Sivasangari built a 6-3 lead in the first set and put pressure on Anahat from the start. Playing aggressively and controlling the rallies, Sivasangari took the first set 11-4.

Anahat also trailed 6-2 in the second set, which Sivasangari again won 11-4. In the third set, Anahat again failed to build a lead and fell behind 4-0 early. Sivasangari played like a champion to win the third set 11-7 as well and claim the gold medal, leaving Anahat to settle for silver.

Anahat had been the first Indian player to reach the final of the women's singles squash event at the Asian Games. With this defeat in the gold medal match, she has also lost the chance of a direct spot at the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics.

Two gold medal matches were played in squash, and India won silver in both, meaning both players' dreams of gold went unfulfilled. Besides Anahat, India's Abhay Singh lost the men's singles gold medal match to Malaysia's Ivan Yuen in straight sets, 11-9, 11-5, 11-5.

Abhay also had to settle for silver, but with this he became only the second Indian man to win a silver medal in the event. Before him, Saurav Ghosal won singles silver in 2014 and 2023. However, this defeat in the final also meant Abhay could not directly qualify for the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics.