India clinched a gold medal in the men’s squash team event, triumphing over Pakistan with a hard-fought 2-1 victory in the final showdown at the Asian Games. Under the leadership of Abhay Singh, the Indian team displayed remarkable prowess in the decisive round. The best-of-three tie kicked off with Mahesh M’s straight-game loss to Nasir Iqbal. Nevertheless, Saurav Ghosal swiftly restored equilibrium with an impressive 11-5, 11-1, 11-3 triumph over Muhammad Asim. The climax of the event featured a gripping contest between Abhay Singh and Noor Zaman, extending to the full distance, ultimately culminating in an 11-7, 9-11, 7-11, 11-9, 12-10 victory for India.
This victory marked India’s second-ever gold medal in squash at the Asian Games, with the previous triumph also being secured by the men’s team at Incheon 2014. Notably, Saurav Ghosal and Mahesh Mangaonkar were part of the championship-winning squad in Incheon. The Indian men’s squash team fought valiantly, securing a 2-0 victory over the reigning champions, Malaysia, in the semi-finals after finishing second in Pool A, progressing to the knockout stage alongside Pakistan as the top two teams from their respective pools.
In the 2018 Jakarta Games in Indonesia, the Indian men’s team had secured a bronze medal in squash. Meanwhile, the women’s team concluded their Hangzhou 2023 squash campaign with a bronze medal, following a loss to Hong Kong China in the semi-finals.
Indian squash players are now set to compete in the upcoming singles and mixed doubles events, commencing on October 1st.