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Anahat Singh reaches Asian Games squash final, eyes 2028 quota

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At 18, Anahat Singh becomes the first Indian woman to reach an Asian Games squash final in Nagoya. The winner earns a direct spot at Los Angeles 2028.

Anahat Singh became the first Indian woman to reach the final of the Asian Games squash competition on Saturday, September 26, 2026, in Nagoya, and said the chance to seal an Olympic quota drove her through the tightest moments of the match. The 18-year-old will play for gold on Sunday, and the winner of the women's singles final earns a direct entry to the Los Angeles 2028 Games.

Anahat, who has already been crowned India's first-ever junior World champion, said the prospect of an Olympic berth kept her focused when the contest slipped away from her. "When I was losing, the first thought in my mind was that I couldn't let the Olympic spot go by so quickly, and that is something that really motivates me," she said after the win.

She acknowledged the weight of expectation heading into the tournament and set her sights on finishing the job. "Coming into this event, a lot was expected. I still have a match left; hopefully I will take it further and gold tomorrow," she said. A day earlier, on September 25, she had faced compatriot Tanvi Khanna in the women's singles quarterfinal.

Abhay Singh secures a singles medal

Abhay Singh guaranteed himself a medal by reaching the men's singles final, and used the moment to answer critics who had questioned his individual credentials. "There was a lot of talk before, people saying I have only done well in team events and doubles, so it's nice to get on the podium in a singles event," the 28-year-old said.

Seeded second in the draw, Abhay stressed that self-belief mattered as much as respecting opponents. He praised the player he beat in the semifinal, Irfan, while making clear he trusted his own standing in the competition. "No one comes to the semifinals of an Asian Games to go down easily. Respect to the kid; he's had some big wins, he's a dangerous player, you need to respect your opponent," he said. "But you also need to give yourself respect. There's a reason I am seeded second in the draw here. There are times I need to go back to remembering why, and sometimes that helps."

Doubles pair exit after disputed call

The day was not all positive for India. Joshna Chinappa and Velavan Senthilkumar were knocked out after an ill-tempered doubles match that turned on a referee's decision. Joshna said the officials had reversed a call on a double bounce by their opponents, a moment she felt had cost the pair a match they believed they had won.

"I think it was obvious that we had already won that match and the referee had overturned his decision on a double bounce from the opponents," Joshna said. "But it is what it is, things like this happen and as much as it's very disappointing, I feel very proud with my partner that we played really well, we played with integrity and unfortunately it didn't go our way."

For Anahat, the final represents another line in a record already unusual for her age. Having claimed the junior World title, she now stands one win away from adding an Asian Games gold and, with it, an early passage to the next Olympic cycle. Her focus on Sunday will be firmly on the quota that comes with victory in Nagoya.

Anahat Singh, Asian Games 2026, squash, Los Angeles 2028 Olympic quota, Abhay Singh, Indian squash, Joshna Chinappa, Nagoya

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