Squash, Hockey and Sepak Takraw: Malaysia's Medal Hopes for the Rest of the Week
With three golds won and three to go, here are the Malaysian events to follow at Aichi-Nagoya over the next few days.
Malaysia are halfway to their six-gold target at the Aichi-Nagoya 2026 Asian Games, and several key events are coming up. Here is what to follow over the next few days.
Sepak takraw: team regu semi-final vs Indonesia (Thursday, 24 September)
Ahmad Jais Baharun's team won all three group matches 3-0, against Japan, the Philippines and India, and play Indonesia in today's semi-final. A win guarantees at least a silver and keeps alive Malaysia's hopes of a first Asian Games team regu gold since 1990.
Squash: Sivasangari defends her title, with an Olympic place at stake
Squash is one of Malaysia's strongest medal sports, and this year it carries extra significance. According to World Squash, the singles events at Nagoya Kinjo-Futo Arena act as a qualifying event for the Los Angeles 2028 Olympics, where squash makes its debut.
S. Sivasangari won the women's singles and women's team golds at Hangzhou 2022. She is the top seed in the women's singles, which started on 23 September.
"This year, there is another motivation, which is to secure an Olympic berth. So, it is an additional motivation and additional pressure," she told Bernama. "I want to win; that is the goal, but in the process there are many other things that I need to focus on."
Aira Azman is also in the women's singles, and Malay Mail lists both players in Thursday's schedule. Other Malaysian squash entries include:
- Ng Eain Yow: men's singles, defending champion
- Aifa Azman and Mohammad Syafiq Kamal: mixed doubles, top seeds
- Women's team (Sivasangari, Aira, Aifa Azman, Rachel Arnold): top seeds
World Squash lists the singles and mixed doubles running from 23 to 27 September, with the team events from 28 September to 2 October.
Hockey: Speedy Tigers aim to stay perfect
The men's team has scored 14 goals and conceded none in two matches: 7-0 against Uzbekistan, including a Faizal Saari hat-trick, and 7-0 against Oman on 22 September. Their remaining Group B fixtures, according to Bernama:
- 24 September: vs Thailand
- 26 September: vs Pakistan
- 28 September: vs China
Team manager Datuk Ahmad Najmi Abdul Razak set the target before the Games: "Our target is simple. Any team would want to reach the final, and once you are in the final, anything can happen."
The Malayan Tigress, the women's team, are aiming for the semi-finals and play Chinese Taipei on 25 September and South Korea on 27 September.
Athletics: sprinters in action
Malay Mail's schedule for Thursday includes national sprinters Muhammad Haiqal Hanafi and Muhammad Azeem Fahmi in the men's 100m, with Muhammad Irfan Shamsuddin in the men's discus.
Badminton: individual events start 25 September
After both teams went out in the quarter-finals, Malaysia's individual players, including Leong Jun Hao, who beat world No. 1 Jonatan Christie, begin their events on Friday.
Esports: more events to come
With one gold and one silver already won, the esports team is aiming for at least five medals across the nine events Malaysia has entered.
Key takeaways
- Sepak takraw's team regu semi-final against Indonesia is on Thursday, 24 September.
- Sivasangari is the top seed in women's squash, where the singles also act as Olympic qualification for LA 2028.
- The Speedy Tigers are unbeaten with a 14-0 goal record and play Thailand on Thursday.
- The individual badminton events begin on 25 September.
FAQ
Why is squash more important than usual this year? The Asian Games singles act as a qualifying event for LA 2028, where squash makes its Olympic debut.
Who are the Speedy Tigers playing next? Thailand on 24 September, then Pakistan on 26 September and China on 28 September.
How many more golds does Malaysia need to reach its target? Three more, to reach the six-gold target.
Sources: Bernama, Malay Mail, World Squash, Utusan Malaysia