Why Anahat Singh wore protective glasses at Asian Games 2026

India’s Anahat Singh wore protective glasses while competing in the women’s singles at the Asian Games 2026, a measure required by junior safety regulations rather than a personal style choice.

The 18-year-old, born on March 13, 2008, is the reigning junior world champion and became the first Indian woman to reach the squash singles final at the Asian Games after a comeback semi-final win over Japan’s World No. 6 Satomi Watanabe, beating her 9-11, 11-13, 12-10, 11-6, 11-3 after trailing 0-2; she then lost the final to Malaysia’s Sivasangari Subramaniam 11-4, 11-4, 11-6 in 28 minutes, taking the silver medal. Most of her opponents at the Games competed without eyewear.

World Squash Federation rules require every junior (under the age of 19) to wear appropriate protective eyewear at all times during play, and that obligation remains when a junior competes in a senior event; players are responsible for ensuring their eyewear meets the required quality and safety standards.

For adult singles matches World Squash recommends protective eyewear but does not make it compulsory, and the federation notes that not every pair of sports glasses satisfies the standards set for squash use.

World Squash cites ISO 18527-2:2021 as the international standard for approved eyewear and also recognises BS EN 18527-2:2021 in the UK and F3164-19 in the US; the federation maintains a list of eyewear products that have been tested and approved for use in squash.

Ordinary prescription spectacles are not accepted for play; players who require vision correction must either wear approved squash eyewear over their prescription spectacles or use prescription protective eyewear that has been designed and approved for squash.

Rules vary by format: in doubles, players of all ages must wear eyewear that meets the standard; in Squash 57 it is not mandatory but is encouraged, especially for less experienced players; for training and practice, World Squash strongly recommends eyewear for everyone and urges coaches to prioritise it.

Anahat finished the Asian Games 2026 women’s singles competition with a silver medal.