Anahat Singh Reaches Asian Games Squash Final, One Win From LA 2028 Olympic Berth
Anahat Singh defeated World No. 6 Satomi Watanabe in a dramatic five-game comeback to reach the Asian Games squash final and move one win away from a Los Angeles 2028 Olympic quota place.
Anahat Singh produced a stunning comeback at the Asian Games in Nagoya, defeating Japan’s World No. 6 Satomi Watanabe 9-11, 11-13, 12-10, 11-6, 11-3 to reach the women’s singles final. The 18-year-old Indian saved two match points in the third game before completely turning the contest around.
The victory makes Anahat the first Indian woman to reach an Asian Games squash singles final. She had earlier lost to Watanabe in another five-game battle, but this time recovered after falling two games behind. Even after an awkward collision during a rally, Anahat returned to dominate the decisive stages of the match.
The teenager’s breakthrough year began with her historic World Junior Squash Championships triumph in July, where she became the first Indian to win the women’s singles title. She now stands one victory away from another major milestone.
The Asian Games women’s singles champion will secure a qualification place for the Los Angeles 2028 Olympics, where squash will make its Olympic debut. Anahat will face either Malaysia’s World No. 5 Sivasangari Subramaniam or Hong Kong’s Chan Sin Yuk in the final.
India also secured a squash bronze through Joshna Chinappa and Velavan Senthilkumar in mixed doubles. The pair lost their semifinal to Hong Kong’s Tang Ming Hong and Lee Ka Yi in three games. For Anahat, however, one final win could turn an already historic year into an Olympic breakthrough.
