Asian Games 2026: Malaysia hit six-gold target as squash double seals the deal

Malaysia's contingent has hit its six-gold target at the 20th Asian Games in Aichi-Nagoya. Squash players Ng Eain Yow and S. Sivasangari both defended their singles titles on Sunday, 27 September, and the Games still have a week to run before they close on 4 October.

The two squash golds came at the Nagoya Kinjofuto Arena, on what Bernama called a "fitting finale" to Malaysia's ninth day of competition. Eain Yow beat India's Abhay Singh 11-9, 11-5, 11-5 for the men's title. Sivasangari then beat India's Anahat Singh 11-4, 11-4, 11-7 in the women's final.

How Malaysia got to six

Squash added the last two golds. Here are all six, based on reports from Bernama and Malay Mail:

• Karate (2): Adeola Fay Robert and Shahmalarani Chandran
• Esports (1): Taj Izrin Aiman Taj Madira
• Sepak takraw (1): men's team regu, which beat Thailand to end a 36-year wait
• Squash (2): Ng Eain Yow (men's singles) and S. Sivasangari (women's singles)

Chef de mission Datuk Mohd Sumali Reduan announced the target at the Jalur Gemilang handover ceremony in Bukit Jalil earlier this month. He called it "realistic based on current performances and recent achievements" and said the contingent hoped for "a bonus beyond the gold-medal target".

A busy day beyond squash

Sunday brought more than the two golds. Diving gave Malaysia two medals:

• Elvis Priestly Clement and Enrique Maccartney Harold won silver in the men's synchronised 10m platform with 377.52 points.
• Ong Ker Ying and Lee Yiat Qing won bronze in the women's synchronised 3m springboard with 243.72 points.

In badminton, Pearly Tan and M. Thinaah reached the women's doubles semi-finals, which guarantees them at least a bronze medal. In athletics, 19-year-old Danish Iftikhar Muhammad Roslee finished sixth in the men's 200m final in a season-best 20.89 seconds. He was the first Malaysian in 44 years to reach that final.

Where the medal count stands

At noon on Sunday, the New Straits Times standings had Malaysia on four gold, one silver and eight bronze. The two squash golds and the diving silver came after that update. With Pearly-Thinaah's semi-final place, Malaysia already have more medals on the way.

The full pre-Games target was 33 medals: six gold, seven silver and 20 bronze. The gold target is done. Filling in the silver and bronze totals is the job for the last week.

What comes next

Bernama reported that Malaysia's athletes will now try to add to the overall medal count before the Games end. Several events are still to come:

• Badminton: Pearly-Thinaah play China's world No. 1 pair Liu Shengshu-Tan Ning in the women's doubles semi-finals on Monday, 28 September.
• Squash team events: these run from 28 September to 2 October. Malaysia's women are the defending champions from Hangzhou 2022.
• Hockey: the Speedy Tigers led Group B after four wins. The men's semi-finals are scheduled for 1 October.
• Diving: Elvis goes again in the individual 10m platform preliminaries on Wednesday, alongside Bertrand Rhodict Lises.

Utusan Malaysia pointed out that squash could still add another gold through the women's team event, which would take Malaysia past the target.

Key takeaways

• Malaysia met the six-gold target on 27 September with squash golds for Ng Eain Yow and S. Sivasangari.
• The six golds came from karate (2), esports (1), sepak takraw (1) and squash (2).
• Diving won a silver and a bronze on the same day, and Pearly-Thinaah are guaranteed a women's doubles medal.
• The Games run until 4 October, and the wider target is 33 medals.

FAQ

What was Malaysia's target at Aichi-Nagoya 2026? Six gold, seven silver and 20 bronze medals, 33 in total, as announced by chef de mission Datuk Mohd Sumali Reduan.

Which sports won Malaysia's six golds? Karate won two, esports one, sepak takraw one and squash two.

When do the Asian Games end? The 20th Asian Games in Aichi-Nagoya close on 4 October 2026.

Sources: Bernama, Malay Mail, New Straits Times, Utusan Malaysia