History in Nagoya: Malaysia Become First Nation to Sweep Both Asian Games Squash Team Golds
Malaysia's women retained their title against Hong Kong and the men beat Pakistan as squash finished with four golds from Aichi-Nagoya 2026.
Malaysian squash wrote a new chapter in Nagoya on Friday, 2 October, as both the women's and men's teams won Asian Games gold on the same day at the Kinjo Futo Arena. According to World Squash, Malaysia became the first nation to win both team titles at the same Asian Games.
The double gave squash four of Malaysia's nine golds at Aichi-Nagoya 2026, after S. Sivasangari and Ng Eain Yow had already retained their individual crowns.
Women: Aira closes out Hong Kong again
The women's final was a repeat of the Hangzhou 2022 decider, and it ended the same way, Malaysia 2-1 Hong Kong.
- Aifa Azman opened with a straight-games win over Tomato Ho, 11-9, 11-9, 12-10.
- S. Sivasangari was beaten in five games by Chan Sin Yuk, levelling the tie.
- Aira Azman settled it with an 11-9, 11-5, 11-4 win over Lee Ka Yi.
"I was quite nervous playing in the third match today, and the opening game was close," Aira admitted. Sivasangari added: "We are happy to win the gold medal, this definitely means a lot."
The squad, which also included Rachel Arnold, had reached the final by beating hosts Japan 2-0 on 1 October. Sivasangari came from behind against world number six Satomi Watanabe, winning 5-11, 11-7, 5-11, 11-6, 11-3, before Aira beat Akari Midorikawa 11-8, 11-5, 11-3. "Satomi is a very tough opponent, so I am happy I managed to win that and give the first point to the team," Sivasangari said after the semi-final.
Men: Eain Yow digs deep against Pakistan
The men's team had done the hard part in the semi-finals, upsetting favourites India 2-1. Eain Yow beat Abhay Singh in straight games and, after Sanjay Jeeva lost to Veer Chotrani, Ameeshenraj Chandaran won a tense decider against Velavan Senthilkumar 10-12, 11-6, 11-8, 11-9.
In the final against Pakistan, Ameeshenraj recovered from losing the first game to beat Nasir Iqbal 8-11, 11-3, 11-6, 11-4. Eain Yow then trailed Noor Zaman two games to one before winning 11-8, 6-11, 7-11, 11-4, 11-5 to seal a 2-0 victory.
"I'm happy, I'm really, really happy... I had to really fight hard and dig very deep," Eain Yow said. He described the win as redemption after feeling he had let the team down at the previous Games, where Malaysia's men took bronze. Sanjay summed up the mood: "I am super proud to be a part of a team that has made history."
Why it matters
The men's title was Malaysia's first since Jakarta-Palembang 2018, while the women made it back-to-back team golds. Together with the singles titles, squash was Malaysia's most productive sport in Japan, and the team golds pushed the contingent past its six-gold target and level with the national record of nine.
Key takeaways
- Women beat Hong Kong 2-1 and men beat Pakistan 2-0 in the team finals on 2 October.
- World Squash says Malaysia are the first nation to win both team titles at one Asian Games.
- The women beat Japan and the men beat India in the 1 October semi-finals.
- Squash delivered four of Malaysia's nine golds at Aichi-Nagoya 2026.
- The men regained the title they last won in 2018.
FAQ
Who won the deciding match in the women's squash team final? Aira Azman, who beat Hong Kong's Lee Ka Yi in straight games.
How many squash golds did Malaysia win at Aichi-Nagoya 2026? Four: women's singles (Sivasangari), men's singles (Eain Yow) and both team events.
Who did the men's team beat in the semi-final? India, 2-1, with Ameeshenraj Chandaran winning the decisive match.
Sources: Malay Mail, Bernama, World Squash, Squash Info, Olympics.com