India Eye Elusive Singles Gold In Squash At Asian Games; Anahat Singh, Abhay Singh Lead Challenge

September 15, 2026

New Delhi: An eight-member Indian squash team will travel from Chennai to Japan on Friday for the Aichi-Nagoya 2026 Asian Games, aiming to improve on the country’s five-medal haul from Hangzhou 2022, held in 2023, while also chasing an elusive singles gold.

India have won 18 squash medals — three gold, four silver and 11 bronze — since the sport made its Asian Games debut in 1998. Despite establishing itself as a regional squash powerhouse, India are yet to win a singles gold.

Anahat, Abhay Lead India’s Singles Challenge

India’s best singles performances at the Asian Games include Saurav Ghosal’s silver medals in 2014 and 2022 in men’s singles, along with women’s singles bronze medals by Dipika Pallikal Karthik in 2014 and 2018 and Joshna Chinappa in 2018.

At the Hangzhou Games, India’s squash gold medals came in mixed doubles and the men’s team event. Dipika Pallikal and Harinder Pal Singh Sandhu won mixed doubles gold, while India claimed the men’s team title. Ghosal won silver in men’s singles, while Anahat Singh and Abhay Singh secured bronze in mixed doubles. The women’s team also won bronze.

The squash competition at Aichi-Nagoya will be held from September 23 to October 2, featuring singles, mixed doubles and men’s and women’s team events. Importantly, the singles champions will earn direct qualification spots for squash’s Olympic debut at Los Angeles 2028.

Women’s world No. 20 and reigning junior world champion Anahat Singh, the third seed, and men’s world No. 24 Abhay Singh, the second seed, will spearhead India’s singles challenge. They will be joined by men’s world No. 38 Veer Chotrani, seeded fourth, and women’s world No. 63 Tanvi Khanna, seeded seventh.

Joshna Set For Record Seventh Asian Games

Veteran Joshna Chinappa, 39, will create history at Aichi-Nagoya by becoming the first Indian sportsperson to compete in seven consecutive Asian Games. The former world No. 10 has featured in every Asiad since 2002.

Joshna will partner Velavan Senthilkumar in mixed doubles, with the pair seeded third. Suraj Chand and Shameena Riaz, seeded ninth, will form India’s second mixed doubles pair.

All eight Indian players will also compete in the respective men’s and women’s team events. While Joshna is set for another Asian Games appearance, Aichi-Nagoya will mark the Games debut of Chotrani, Senthilkumar, Chand and Shameena.

Coach Sandhu Confident Of Strong Medal Challenge

National coach Harinder Pal Singh Sandhu said India have a strong combination of experienced players and new talent and could improve their medal tally from the previous edition.

On India’s long-standing pursuit of singles gold, Sandhu acknowledged the quality of opposition in Asia but backed the team’s prospects.

“We know the challenge is immense, but we also believe we have players capable of making that breakthrough,” Sandhu said.

He highlighted Anahat’s emergence as one of the leading players of her generation, citing her current form, confidence and progress on the international circuit as reasons for optimism.

Sandhu said the team would remain realistic about the competition and focus on taking one match at a time, executing its plans and ensuring every player is prepared for the pressure of the Asian Games.

The support staff includes British former world No. 1 James Willstrop, former India women’s player Surbhi Misra and physiotherapist Dimple Kamalakannan.