KUALA LUMPUR: Defending champions Ng Eain Yow and S. Sivasangari face a ‘massive’ mission at next month’s Asian Games AichiNagoya 2026 as the multi-sport event is the first direct Olympic qualifier for the sport’s debut at the Los Angeles 2028 Games.
Squash Racquets Association of Malaysia (SRAM) coaching director Andrew Cross said while the team is determined to replicate the threegold medal haul from the previous edition, the added incentive of Olympic qualification has turned the tournament into a significant milestone for the country’s top two aces.
“I think it’s not going to be easy obviously to back up what we did a couple of years ago, but that’s obviously what we’re trying to do.
“That’s what we want.
We also have the added thing this time of it being the first Olympic qualifier, which is massive.
So for Eain Yow and Sivasangari, that is, is huge,” he said after Asiad chef de mission Datuk Mohd Sumali Reduan visited the training centre here yesterday.
At the 2022 Asian Games, Malaysia emerged as a squash powerhouse by sweeping three gold medals through Eain Yow in the men’s singles, Sivasangari in the women’s singles and the women’s team comprising Rachel Arnold, Aifa Azman and Aira Azman.
Commenting on the current preparations, Andrew expressed satisfaction with the players’ progress, noting that the focus is now on attaining match sharpness through several upcoming tournaments following a brief break after the British Open in June.
To ensure Malaysia remains ahead of the curve, he revealed that the coaching staff has already commenced intensive video analysis to break down the strengths and weaknesses of their rivals before the team departs for Japan in six weeks. – BERNAMA
