Anahat Singh wins a historic silver at Asian Games 2026 after reaching the squash final, creating a new chapter for Indian squash.
Anahat Singh scripted history at Asian Games 2026 by becoming the first Indian woman to reach the squash singles final. The 18-year-old produced a stunning comeback against Japan’s Satomi Watanabe in the semi-final before facing Malaysia’s defending champion Sivasangari Subramaniam. Anahat lost the final in straight games but secured a historic silver medal. Her journey adds another major milestone to the rise of India’s young squash sensation.
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Anahat Singh Makes History at Asian Games 2026 With Historic Squash Silver
Anahat Singh has once again shown why she is being seen as one of India’s biggest young squash talents. At the Asian Games 2026, the 18-year-old Indian created history by becoming the first Indian woman to reach the Asian Games women’s singles squash final.
The final did not go India’s way, as Anahat Singh lost to Malaysia’s defending champion Sivasangari Subramaniam in straight games. Sivasangari won 11-4, 11-4, 11-7 to retain her Asian Games gold medal.
For Anahat, however, the silver medal itself represents a major milestone. She became the first Indian women’s singles squash player to win an Asian Games silver medal, going one step beyond the bronze medals previously won by Indian squash stars such as Joshna Chinappa and Dipika Pallikal.
Anahat Singh vs Sivasangari Subramaniam: What Happened in the Final?
Anahat entered the final after producing one of the biggest comebacks of her Asian Games campaign.
In the semi-final, she fought back from 0-2 down against Japan’s world No. 6 Satomi Watanabe and eventually won the five-game thriller 9-11, 11-13, 12-10, 11-6, 11-3.
The final, however, was a completely different story.
Sivasangari, ranked among the world’s leading squash players, started strongly and quickly put Anahat under pressure. The Malaysian controlled the rallies and did not allow the Indian teenager to build the kind of momentum she had shown in the semi-final.
Sivasangari took the opening game 11-4 and followed it with another 11-4 victory in the second.
Anahat tried to stay in the contest in the third game, but Sivasangari remained in control and eventually closed out the match 11-7.
The match ended in straight games, giving Sivasangari another Asian Games gold and Anahat a historic silver.
Anahat Singh’s Honest Reaction After Winning Silver
Despite making history, Anahat Singh admitted that she was disappointed with the colour of her medal.
Speaking after the final, Anahat said she was “not too happy with the colour of the medal”, but also recognised that there was a lot for her to learn from the experience.
The teenager acknowledged the quality of Sivasangari’s performance and said she would look back at the match to understand where the gap appeared.
For Anahat, the defeat was not the end of the journey. Instead, she described it as a learning experience and highlighted the importance of improving for future matches on the PSA Tour and at major international competitions.
A Historic Asian Games Moment for Indian Squash
Anahat’s silver is important because of the history attached to it.
Before her run in Asian Games 2026, no Indian woman had reached the women’s singles final in squash at the continental event.
Indian squash legends Joshna Chinappa and Dipika Pallikal had previously won bronze medals in the women’s singles competition. Anahat has now gone further by reaching the final and securing silver.
What makes the achievement even more interesting is that India had finalists in both individual squash categories at the same Asian Games.
Anahat represented India in the women’s singles final, while Abhay Singh reached the men’s singles final.
That was a first for India at the Asian Games.
Abhay Singh Also Wins Silver in Men’s Squash
Earlier on the same day, Abhay Singh was involved in the men’s singles gold medal match against Malaysia’s defending champion Ng Eain Yow.
Abhay fought hard but could not overcome the Malaysian, losing the final in straight games.
Ng Eain Yow won 11-9, 11-5, 11-5 to defend his Asian Games title.
Abhay had reached the final after defeating Pakistan’s Muhammad Irfan 11-3, 12-10, 11-6 in the semi-final.
His run was historic as he became only the second Indian man after Saurav Ghosal to reach an Asian Games men’s singles squash final.
The two silver medals gave India another memorable chapter in its squash campaign at Asian Games 2026.
Anahat Singh and the Los Angeles 2028 Olympic Dream
The Asian Games 2026 squash finals also carried an additional significance because the winners received a direct qualification pathway to the Los Angeles 2028 Olympics, where squash will make its Olympic debut.
Since Anahat did not win the final, she missed that particular direct qualification route.
However, the result does not end her Olympic ambitions.
Anahat herself made it clear that there are other opportunities to qualify for the Olympics, and her focus remains on continuing to improve and compete at the highest level.
At just 18, she has plenty of time to build on this experience.
From a PV Sindhu Fan to India’s Squash Sensation
Anahat Singh’s sporting journey is interesting because squash was not her first choice.
She initially loved badminton and became fascinated by the sport after watching PV Sindhu play.
She started playing badminton at a young age and even won youth-level competitions. But her elder sister Amira was already involved in squash, and Anahat gradually started playing both sports.
Eventually, she decided to focus on squash.
That decision changed her sporting career.
Anahat quickly began making a name for herself in junior squash. She became India’s top-ranked player in her age category and later achieved success at major international junior tournaments.
Her breakthrough at the 2019 British Junior Open, where she won the Under-11 girls’ title, was one of the early signs of what was to come.
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Anahat Singh’s Rise Through Junior Squash
Anahat continued collecting major junior titles over the following years.
In 2021, she became the first Indian woman to win a US Open title in any age category after claiming the Under-15 crown.
In 2022, she won the Under-15 title at the Asian Junior Squash Championships and also became the youngest member of India’s contingent at the Birmingham Commonwealth Games.
The following year brought even more success.
She won the British Junior Open Under-15 title and became the Under-17 champion at the Asian Junior Squash Championships.
At the Asian Games 2023, Anahat won two bronze medals — one in the women’s team event and another in mixed doubles.
At only 15, she was already competing and winning medals at one of Asia’s biggest sporting events.
Anahat Singh: The Journey to Asian Games 2026 Silver
From a young badminton fan to India’s historic squash star, explore the biggest milestones in Anahat Singh’s journey.
Born in Delhi
Anahat Singh was born on March 13, 2008, in Delhi. Her sporting journey would eventually take her from junior squash tournaments to the biggest stages in international sport.
First Major Junior Breakthrough
Anahat won the Under-11 girls’ title at the prestigious British Junior Open, becoming the first Indian to achieve the feat in the category.
US Open Junior Champion
She became the first Indian woman to win a US Open title in any age category after claiming the Under-15 girls’ championship.
Asian Junior Champion & Commonwealth Games Debut
Anahat won the Under-15 gold at the Asian Junior Squash Championships and became the youngest member of India’s Commonwealth Games contingent at just 14.
Asian Games Medal Debut
At the Hangzhou Asian Games, Anahat Singh won two bronze medals — one in the women’s team event and another in mixed doubles.
Nine PSA Challenger Titles
Anahat enjoyed a remarkable season, winning nine PSA Challenger titles and continuing her rise through the international squash rankings.
World Junior Medal & Squash World Cup Success
She won bronze at the World Junior Squash Championships and was part of India’s historic Squash World Cup-winning team.
Breakthrough on the PSA Tour
Anahat won her maiden PSA Bronze-level title at the Squash On Fire Open and broke into the world’s top 20.
Junior World Champion
Anahat scripted another historic achievement by becoming the first Indian squash player to win the girls’ singles title at the World Junior Squash Championships.
Historic Asian Games Final
At Asian Games 2026, Anahat produced a stunning comeback against Japan’s Satomi Watanabe, winning the semi-final after being two games down and becoming the first Indian woman to reach an Asian Games squash singles final.
Historic Silver Medal
Anahat Singh finished with silver after losing the women’s singles final to Malaysia’s Sivasangari Subramaniam 4-11, 4-11, 7-11.
The World Junior Champion Breakthrough
Anahat’s development continued at an impressive pace.
She won the World Junior Squash Championships in 2026, becoming the first Indian squash player to win the girls’ singles junior world title.
That victory was another major milestone in her career and confirmed her position among the leading young players in international squash.
Her performances also helped her break into the world’s top 20.
In 2026, she won her maiden PSA Bronze-level title at the Squash On Fire Open after defeating England’s Commonwealth Games champion Georgina Kennedy in the final.
Anahat Singh’s Asian Games 2026 Journey
The road to the final was not easy.
Anahat had to overcome Japan’s world No. 6 Satomi Watanabe in an extraordinary semi-final.
She lost the first two games and looked close to elimination. But instead of giving up, Anahat changed the momentum of the match.
She saved two match points and fought back to win the next three games.
The final score was:
9-11, 11-13, 12-10, 11-6, 11-3
That comeback booked her place in history as the first Indian woman to reach the Asian Games squash singles final.
Although Sivasangari proved too strong in the gold medal match, Anahat’s overall campaign remains a landmark moment for Indian squash.
Anahat Singh Images
Anahat Singh’s Major Achievements
Here are some of the biggest milestones from Anahat Singh’s young career:
- British Junior Open Under-11 champion in 2019
- Bronze at the Asian Junior Squash Championships in 2019
- First Indian woman to win a US Open title in any age category in 2021
- Asian Junior Squash Championships Under-15 champion in 2022
- British Junior Open Under-15 champion in 2023
- Asian Junior Squash Championships Under-17 champion in 2023
- Two bronze medals at the Asian Games 2023
- Youngest member of India’s 2022 Commonwealth Games contingent
- Indian national champion in 2023, 2024 and 2025
- Scottish Junior Open Under-19 champion in 2023
- Nine PSA Challenger titles in 2024
- PSA Challenger Female Player of the Season for 2024-25
- PSA Young Female Player of the Season for 2024-25
- Bronze at the World Junior Squash Championships 2025
- Squash World Cup champion
- Squash On Fire Open champion in 2026
- Junior World Champion in 2026
- First Indian woman to reach an Asian Games squash singles final
- First Indian women’s singles squash player to win an Asian Games silver medal
What Comes Next for Anahat Singh?
The Asian Games 2026 final may have ended with silver, but Anahat Singh’s bigger journey is only beginning.
At 18, she has already achieved milestones that took generations of Indian squash players years to reach.
Her biggest takeaway from Nagoya could be the experience of playing against one of the world’s best players on a major stage.
The defeat against Sivasangari will give Anahat plenty to analyse, improve and work on. She has also made it clear that her Olympic dream remains alive.
For Indian squash fans, the biggest positive is simple — Anahat Singh is still only 18.
Her historic silver at the Asian Games 2026 adds another major achievement to an already impressive career, and the next chapter of her squash journey will be worth watching closely.
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