Asian Games 2026: Abhay Singh takes silver in men's singles squash final in Nagoya
Abhay Singh lost to Ng Eain Yow in the men's singles final at the Asian Games 2026 at the Nagoya Kinjo-Futo arena on Sunday, settling for the silver medal. He is only the second Indian to reach the men's singles final at the Asian Games.
Top-seeded Malaysian Ng Eain Yow entered the match as the defending champion and is listed as world No. 13; he first won the continental title in Hangzhou. The final began at a blistering tempo with extended full-court rallies. Abhay reached the decider after defeating Pakistan’s Muhammad Ashab Irfan in straight games in the semi-finals and tested Ng early with his physical presence and deceptive forehand drops.
Ng closed out the match in straight games, 11-9, 11-5, 11-5, completing the win in 54 minutes. After a closely fought opening game, Ng gained control and prevented Abhay from building sustained momentum in the second and third games.
Ng relied on court craft and defensive resilience, absorbing Abhay’s early pressure before shifting pace with pinpoint lobs and tight rail drives. In the second game he capitalised on loose mid-court balls and forced errors from the Indian challenger.
Abhay produced a spirited response in the third, digging in on retrievals and converting several points with volley kills, but Ng remained composed on the crucial points to seal the victory. The match featured long rallies and frequent changes of tempo as both players pressed from the back corners.
India moved into the top 10 on the Aichi-Nagoya medal table with 31 medals: four gold, 13 silver and 14 bronze. The gold medals came from men’s and women’s kabaddi, women’s T20 cricket and mixed 10m air pistol shooting, while shooting and athletics supplied multiple podium finishes, including distance-running silvers and team rifle medals; additional bronze medals arrived from rowing, squash, table tennis and badminton.
The victory secured Ng direct qualification for squash’s Olympic debut at the Los Angeles 2028 Games and allowed him to retain the continental crown he first won in Hangzhou.