Anahat Singh to Lead India's Squash Team at Asian Games 2026
India's Squash Team for Asian Games 2026
Anahat Singh, a talented teenager, will captain India's eight-member squash team at the upcoming Asian Games 2026. This event not only serves as a competitive platform but also provides an opportunity for athletes to qualify for the Los Angeles 2028 Olympics, where squash will be featured for the first time.
The squash competitions are scheduled to take place at the Nagoya Kinjo-Futo Arena from September 23 to October 2. Medals will be contested in various categories, including men's and women's singles, team events, and mixed doubles, as reported by Olympics.com.
The champions in both men's and women's singles will secure a quota spot for the LA 2028 Olympics, contingent upon meeting the necessary qualification standards, which adds extra importance to these individual matches.
Squad Composition and Experience
Leading the men's singles challenge will be second seed Abhay Singh and fourth seed Veer Chotrani. In the women's category, third seed Anahat and seventh seed Tanvi Khanna will represent India.
Anahat brings valuable experience from her previous participation in the Asian Games, where she contributed to India's bronze medal in the women's team and mixed doubles events.
Joshna Chinappa and Tanvi Khanna were also part of the women's team that secured bronze at the Hangzhou 2023 Games.
In mixed doubles, India will have two pairs: Velavan Senthilkumar with Joshna Chinappa and Suraj Chand with Shameena Riaz.
For the men's team event, Abhay, Veer, Velavan, and Suraj are placed in Pool A alongside teams from the Republic of Korea and China.
The women's team, consisting of Anahat, Joshna, Tanvi, and Shameena, will compete in Pool C against Japan, China, and Iran.
The Indian squad will be coached by Harinder Pal Sandhu, who previously won a mixed doubles gold with Dipika Pallikal at the Hangzhou Asian Games.
India's Historical Performance in Squash
At the Hangzhou 2023 Asian Games, India achieved remarkable success, winning five squash medals: two gold, one silver, and two bronze. The men's team and the mixed doubles duo of Dipika and Sandhu were among the gold medalists.
In total, Indian squash players have amassed 18 medals at the Asian Games, which includes three gold, four silver, and eleven bronze.
Schedule for Squash Events at Asian Games 2026
The squash competition kicks off on September 23, with the mixed doubles round of 32 starting at 7:30 AM IST, followed by the men's singles at 10:30 AM and women's singles at 11:15 AM.
The singles round of 16 matches will take place on September 24, with quarter-finals on September 25 and semi-finals on September 26.
The mixed doubles final is set for September 27 at 11 AM IST, while the gold medal matches for men's and women's singles will occur at 12:30 PM and 1:30 PM, respectively.
Team events will commence on September 28, with pool matches continuing through September 29. The quarter-finals are scheduled for September 30, followed by semi-finals on October 1.
The women's team gold medal match is slated for October 2 at 10 AM IST, with the men's final following at noon.
With opportunities for Olympic qualification in singles and medals available across five categories, India aims to build on its previous successes as the squash competition unfolds in Japan.
Detailed Squash Schedule (IST)
September 23, Wednesday
Mixed doubles round of 32 - 7:30 AM onwards
Men's singles round of 32 - 10:30 AM onwards
Women's singles round of 32 - 11:15 AM onwards
September 24, Thursday
Mixed doubles round of 16 - 7:30 AM onwards
Women's singles round of 16 - 10:30 AM onwards
Men's singles round of 16 - 11:15 AM onwards
September 25, Friday
Mixed doubles quarter-finals - 6:30 AM onwards
Women's singles quarter-finals - 8:30 AM onwards
Men's singles quarter-finals - 9:15 AM onwards
September 26, Saturday
Mixed doubles semi-finals - 8:30 AM onwards
Women's singles semi-finals - 10:30 AM onwards
Men's singles semi-finals - 11:15 AM onwards
September 27, Sunday
Women's singles 3/4 play-off - 8:30 AM
Men's singles 3/4 play-off - 9:15 AM
Mixed doubles final - 11:00 AM
Men's singles gold medal match - 12:30 PM
Women's singles gold medal match - 1:30 PM
September 28, Monday
Women's team Pool A round robin - 6:30 AM onwards
Men's team Pool A round robin - 8:30 AM onwards
Women's team Pool B round robin - 12:00 PM onwards
Men's team Pool B round robin - 2:00 PM onwards
September 29, Tuesday
Women's team Pool C round robin - 6:30 AM onwards
Men's team Pool C round robin - 10:30 AM onwards
September 30, Wednesday
Women's team quarter-finals - 6:30 AM onwards
Men's team quarter-finals - 8:30 AM onwards
October 1, Thursday
Women's team semi-finals - 7:00 AM onwards
Men's team semi-finals - 9:00 AM onwards
October 2, Friday
Women's team gold medal match - 10:00 AM
Men's team gold medal match - 12:00 PM