Squash team events begin as Malaysia's women chase Hangzhou repeat
With two singles golds and two LA28 tickets won, Malaysia's squash squad turns to the team events, where the women are top seeds and defending champions.
Two days of singles finals gave Malaysian squash two gold medals and its first two Olympic places. Now the team events take over at the Nagoya Kinjo Futo Arena. They run from Monday, 28 September, to Friday, 2 October, according to World Squash.
Defending champions, top seeds
Malaysia's women go in as the team to beat. World Squash has named Sivasangari Subramaniam, Aira Azman, Aifa Azman and Rachel Arnold as the top-seeded women's team.
The squad is aiming to repeat Malaysia's Hangzhou 2022 win, when they beat Hong Kong 2-1 in the final. The Star has said Hong Kong and India have put together strong squads this time, so keeping the title will not be easy.
The line-up has already done well in Nagoya:
- Sivasangari won women's singles gold on 27 September.
- Aira Azman reached the singles quarter-finals.
- Rachel Arnold won mixed doubles bronze with C. Ameeshenraj.
Utusan Malaysia pointed out that squash can still win another gold through the women's team event. Winning it would take Malaysia past the six-gold target.
In the men's team event, World Squash named India (Abhay Singh, Veer Chotrani, Velavan Senthilkumar and Suraj Chand) as the top seeds.
A historic weekend for the sport
The team events come straight after Malaysia's best weekend in squash at these Games. Ng Eain Yow and S. Sivasangari both retained their singles titles, and in doing so became the first Malaysian squash players to qualify for the Olympics. Squash makes its Olympic debut at Los Angeles 2028.
Olympic Council of Malaysia president Tan Sri Dr Mohamad Norza Zakaria praised the pair, RTM reported. He called them icons for squash and for Malaysia's Olympic movement. He said their qualification reflected the steady development of squash in Malaysia and opened a new chapter for the sport as it heads to the Olympics.
Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim also congratulated both players.
Legends in the stands
Malaysian squash's history has been part of the week. The Star reported that Datuk Nicol Ann David was in Nagoya to support the national team. She met Sivasangari before the singles semi-final.
Eain Yow said the success belonged to earlier generations too. "When I was young and aspired to be a squash player, I looked up to all my seniors and their achievements. So, I want to repay them in my own way," he told Bernama.
What to watch
- Women's team: Malaysia start as top seeds and defending champions.
- Workload: Sivasangari has just played a full singles campaign, so recovery between team ties will matter.
- Rivals: Hong Kong, whom Malaysia beat in the 2022 final, and India, who have had a strong week in Nagoya.
Match results will follow as the ties are played this week.
Key takeaways
- The squash team events run from 28 September to 2 October at the Nagoya Kinjo Futo Arena.
- Malaysia's women (Sivasangari, Aira, Aifa and Rachel) are the top seeds and defending champions.
- A women's team gold would take Malaysia past the six-gold target.
- Eain Yow and Sivasangari are Malaysia's first squash qualifiers for the Olympics.
FAQ
When are the Asian Games squash team events? From 28 September to 2 October 2026, according to World Squash.
Who is in Malaysia's women's team? S. Sivasangari, Aira Azman, Aifa Azman and Rachel Arnold.
Did Malaysia win the women's team title last time? Yes. At Hangzhou 2022, Malaysia beat Hong Kong 2-1 in the final.
Sources: World Squash, The Star, Utusan Malaysia, RTM, Bernama