Mumbai: Abhay Singh had made it clear he wasn’t at the 2026 Asian Games for a bronze. The gold proved a bridge too far, resulting in a first silver for India’s No.1 male squash pro.
Abhay, ranked world No.26, lost to the 18th-ranked Malaysian defending champion Ng Eain Yow 3-0 (11-9, 11-5, 11-5) in the men’s singles semi-final on Sunday. He lost several matches in the process but gained experience competing with the top 10-20 players, keeping the bigger picture of 2028 in mind. The Indian also delivered a few upset results, including over Karim Gawad (then world No.5) and Gregoire Marche (world No.20).
The early Olympic spot for the 2028 LA Games was a near-miss but for Abhay, the headline-maker of India’s team gold at the previous Asian Games, earning a first individual medal is a decent achievement. Some delightful wrist work off the backhand made it 7-8 for Abhay, who was level a point later. The physicality of that long and tight first game, perhaps, started to catch up with the 28-year-old Indian.
Abhay had never beaten the Malaysian before, and entered this match as the underdog. Abhay made a positive start, but Yow’s class still earned him a three-point lead at the halfway mark of the first game. The contest was a slow burn of lengthy, gruelling rallies. Abhay was able to stay with Yow in them and keep pace on the scoreboard. Four points later though, despite the Indian saving a game ball, the Malaysian was ahead. After the first few points of the second game, Abhay began to fall behind, and Yow quickly surged ahead. The game was wrapped up soon, and Abhay needed to mount a monumental comeback. It wasn’t coming.
