KUCHING: Malaysia needed two more golds to reach its Aichi-Nagoya 2026 target.
By the end of Sunday, Ng Eain Yow and S. Sivasangari had delivered both.
Eain Yow successfully defended his Asian Games men’s individual squash title before Sivasangari followed with another successful title defence in the women’s event, taking Malaysia from four golds to the six it had set out to win.
For Eain Yow, the reward went beyond another Asian Games crown.
The world No. 18 beat India’s Abhay Singh 11-9, 11-5, 11-5 at Nagoya Kinjofuto Arena to claim Malaysia’s fifth gold and, with it, become the country’s first athlete to secure a place at the Los Angeles 2028 Olympics.
Squash will make its Olympic debut in Los Angeles, with the Asian Games men’s and women’s individual champions earning automatic qualification.
The 28-year-old absorbed a tighter opening game before pulling away from Abhay, extending his unbeaten record against the Indian and repeating the title he won at Hangzhou 2022.
Only Ong Beng Hee had previously defended the Asian Games men’s individual squash crown for Malaysia, winning back-to-back titles in 2002 and 2006.
Then came Sivasangari.
With Malaysia sitting on five golds, the defending women’s champion stepped onto court against India’s Anahat Singh knowing victory would complete the national contingent’s target.
She took control from the opening exchanges, winning the first two games 11-4, 11-4 before closing out the final and retaining the crown she first won at Hangzhou.
Her victory delivered Malaysia’s sixth gold – and extended a remarkable run in the women’s individual event.
Malaysia have held the Asian Games women’s singles title since 2006, beginning with Datuk Nicol David’s reign through 2018 before Sivasangari carried it forward at Hangzhou 2022 and again in Aichi-Nagoya.
