Anahat Singh's Remarkable Comeback at Asian Games 2026
Anahat Singh's Stunning Victory
Indian squash player Anahat Singh made an impressive comeback to defeat Japan's Satomi Watanabe, securing her place in the women's singles final at the Asian Games 2026 on Saturday. Anahat rallied from a 0-2 deficit to win the semifinal match 3-2 in a thrilling contest.
Ranked 17th globally, Anahat narrowly lost the first two games, with scores of 9-11 and 11-13, as Watanabe effectively utilized her pace variations and sharp angles to put Anahat under pressure.
Facing a challenging situation, Anahat displayed exceptional composure in the third game. After trailing 8-10 and saving two game points, she managed to clinch the game 12-10, keeping her hopes alive.
The momentum shifted in Anahat's favor as she dominated the fourth game, winning it 11-6, which leveled the match at 2-2 and led to a decisive fifth game.
In the final game, Anahat maintained her aggressive play, overpowering Watanabe to win 11-3, thus completing a remarkable comeback and advancing to the final for the gold medal.
India's Medal Achievements
On the same day, India celebrated a successful medal haul at the Asian Games 2026. The women's kabaddi team secured gold by defeating Iran 37-34 in the final. In athletics, Sawan Barwal achieved a national record time of 2:11:37, earning silver in the men's marathon. Additionally, the shooting team of Ashi Chouksey, Tilottama Sen, and Vidarsa Vinod won silver in the women's 50m rifle 3P event, with Tilottama and Vidarsa finishing fourth and fifth in the individual finals, respectively.
Squash and Badminton Highlights
In squash, Joshna Chinappa and Velavan Senthilkumar earned bronze in mixed doubles after losing their semifinal match against Hong Kong's Tang Ming Hong and Lee Ka Yi. In badminton, Ayush Shetty and Unnati Hooda progressed to the pre-quarterfinals after defeating Kazakhstan's Makhsut Tajibullayev and Malaysia's Wong Ling Ching, respectively. However, Lakshya Sen was eliminated in the second round of men's singles by Singapore's Loh Kean Yew.
Updates from Boxing and Archery
In boxing, Kapil Pokhariya advanced to the men's 91kg quarterfinals with a decisive 5-0 victory over Iran's Sam Estaki, while Jadumani Singh was eliminated after losing to the Philippines' Carlo Paalam in the men's 55kg round of 16. Indian archers continued to excel in the qualification rounds, with Chikitha Taniparthi, Jyothi Surekha Vennam, and Prithika Pradeep finishing second in the women's team compound qualification. Meanwhile, Dhiraj Bommadevara, Neeraj Chauhan, and Yashdeep Bhoge secured third place in the men's team recurve qualification, with Dhiraj setting both Asian and national records.
Track and Court Updates
Anahat Singh's remarkable comeback against Satomi Watanabe highlighted the squash events, while in athletics, Tejaswin Shankar and Thowfeeq Noushad continued their decathlon journey, with Tejaswin finishing first in the long jump and remaining in contention for a medal. Animesh Kujur qualified for the men's 200m semifinal after topping his heat.
Results from Other Sports
India also made progress in fencing, with the men's sabre and women's foil teams winning their round-of-16 matches before facing defeats in the quarterfinals. In canoe sprint, Parvathy Geetha and Prasanna Kumar reached Final A in the mixed kayak double 500m, while Harshwardhan Shaktawat advanced to Final B. In table tennis, players Yashaswini Ghorpade and Manush Shah exited in the singles rounds, and esports player Paritosh lost in the Puyo Puyo Champions quarterfinal. The mixed canoe double team of Raju Rawat and Neha Devi Leichonbam finished eighth in the final.