Anahat Singh reaches Asian Games squash final after dramatic comeback

India’s Anahat Singh reached the Asian Games women’s singles squash final after overcoming Japan’s world No. 6 Satomi Watanabe in a five-game semifinal in Nagoya on Saturday. The 18-year-old won 9-11, 11-13, 12-10, 11-6, 11-3.

The result makes Singh the first Indian woman to reach the Asian Games singles final. She had appeared close to defeat after losing the opening two games, but saved two match points in the third before taking it 12-10. Singh then levelled the contest with an 11-6 fourth-game win.

In the decider, she controlled the rallies and moved quickly to an 11-3 victory, completing the comeback against the Japanese home favourite. The semifinal included a brief stoppage after Singh’s head struck Watanabe’s shoulder during a retrieval. She received medical attention before play resumed, but the source material says there was little sign of discomfort during the remainder of the match.

The victory continues a breakthrough year for Singh. Two months earlier, she became the first Indian to win the World Junior Squash Championships. She defeated Egypt’s Ruqayya Salem 3-0 in the final in Canada in July, ending Egypt’s run of women’s singles champions in the event since 2010.

Singh had previously reached the quarterfinals and semifinals of the World Juniors before winning the title in her final year on the junior circuit. She will face the winner of the other semifinal between Malaysia’s world No. 5 Subramaniam Sivasangari and Hong Kong’s Chan Sin Yuk.

The Asian Games women’s singles champion receives a qualification place for the Los Angeles 2028 Olympics, where squash will make its debut. India also secured a mixed-doubles bronze through Joshna Chinappa and Velavan Senthilkumar. They lost 2-1 to Hong Kong’s Tang Ming Hong and Lee Ka Yi in the semifinal.

Chinappa now has six Asian Games medals, including two silvers and three bronzes.