Nagoya, September 27, 2026 (Yes Punjab News)
Indian squash player Abhay Singh admitted that the ongoing Asian Games could potentially be his last appearance at the continental showpiece after winning the silver medal in the men’s singles event on Sunday.
“You never know; it could be my last, maybe not. I think I played pretty well in the first. I think we were quite toe-to-toe,” Abhay told IANS after his 44-minute final against Malaysia’s Eain Yow.
Abhay stayed close to Eain in the opening game at the Nagoya Kinjo Futo Arena before the Malaysian took control to win 11-9, 11-5, 11-5 and claim the gold medal.
The silver made Abhay only the second Indian man after Saurav Ghosal to win a medal in the Asian Games men’s singles squash event. However, he missed out on the direct qualification spot for the Los Angeles 2028 Olympics that came with the gold medal.
Eain, who had also defeated Ghosal in the Hangzhou 2022 final, became the first squash player to qualify for the Los Angeles Olympics through the Asian Games after winning the title without dropping a game in Aichi-Nagoya.
Abhay acknowledged his disappointment but credited Eain for producing the better performance on the day.
“I think he started playing better squash in the second. He put the ball in very good areas, very clean squash, and moved well. Like I said, all credit to him; I think he was the better athlete today,” he said.
The 28-year-old said the defeat was painful but would not overshadow the larger significance of his silver medal.
“I’m not disheartened on a bigger picture. I’m disheartened about tonight, obviously. Many people put a lot of effort into me,” Abhay said, adding that he wanted to repay the faith of his team, the government, sponsors and supporters.
Abhay also expressed gratitude for having his parents in Nagoya, saying their presence made the week special. He dedicated the medal to the wider support system behind his career, including his team, sponsors and the governments supporting squash.
“I think the respected Prime Minister has come in and changed Indian sport for the better. It’s unbelievable the support Squash gets. My state government of Tamil Nadu has been absolutely brilliant with me. This medal goes out to all of them as well,” he said.
Abhay will now compete in the team event before taking a short break and then turning his attention to the US Open.
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