18-Year-Old Anahat Singh Clinches Historic Asian Games Silver Medal in Women’s Squash
The young star from India, Anahat Singh, who is only 18 years old, made history by winning the silver medal in the women’s singles tournament at the Asian Games held in Aichi-Nagoya, Japan in 2026. It is worth noting that this is the first time an Indian woman reached the Asian Games squash singles finals and secured a silver medal.
However, despite losing to Sivasangari Subramaniam of Malaysia in straight games, the silver medal will remain an important milestone for Indian squash as well as a big achievement for the young Anahat.
Anahat Singh Makes History at 18
Anahat Singh went into the Asian Games with the reputation of being one of India’s finest junior squash talents, and came out of it having secured her own place in the history books of Indian sports.
Coming through in her teens at the age of 18, Singh made history as the first Indian lady to reach the finals of the women’s singles squash event in the Asian Games. The silver won by Singh is also a record for an Indian lady in the sport.
This feat comes at a time when Anahat Singh had been making waves on the international junior circuit.
The Final Against Sivasangari Subramaniam
Anahat had her hands full in the gold medal bout, facing Malaysia’s Sivasangari Subramaniam, the world No. 5 and defending champion of the Asian Games.
Sivasangari ran away with the match and beat Anahat 11-4, 11-4, 11-7.
While Anahat couldn’t make that comeback to earn herself the gold medal, the fact remained that making it to the final was an accomplishment in its own right.
Her Incredible Semifinal Comeback
The most striking aspect of Anahat’s performance in the Asian Games is that she staged a stunning turnaround against Satomi Watanabe of Japan in the semifinal matches.
Anahat was lagging behind 0-2 and on the verge of elimination but she proved to be resilient by winning the match 3-2 by fighting off two match points.
As a result of this performance, she qualified for the finals and became the first woman to represent India in the Asian Games single squash championship finals.
Moreover, her comeback performance has been an example of her resilient attitude, which is a very important part of her early career.
An Historic Medal for Indian Women’s Squash
Anahat’s silver medal means much more than just her success.
Prior to this year’s Asian Games, there was no Indian female athlete who had managed to win a silver medal in the women’s singles squash category. Thus, Anahat has set up a new record in the history of Indian women’s squash in Asia.
In addition, she is only the third Indian squash player who has managed to win a silver medal in singles at the Asian Games, following Saurav Ghosal and Abhay Singh.
The Olympic Qualification Angle
The singles tournament in the Asian Games also had some added significance since squash is making its Olympic debut at the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics.
The winners of the singles category received automatic qualification spots for the Olympics. Since Anahat was a runner-up in the tournament, she did not earn a qualification spot through this route.
Nevertheless, it cannot be understated how important it is for Anahat’s future. Anahat is only 18 years old and she has plenty of time left until the 2028 Olympics.
Who is Anahat Singh?
Anahat Singh has proved to be one of the promising younger talents on the Indian squash scene. What makes the rise of Anahat special is that she has gone from winning tournaments at the junior level straight into the top level senior tournaments.
She had also won the World Junior Squash Championships earlier in 2026, thus adding yet another feather to her cap during this year.
India’s Squash Campaign Moves On
This individual silver medal of Anahat does not mean the end of India’s squash campaign in the Asian Games.
The women’s squash team of India, which includes Anahat and Tanvi Khanna along with other promising talents, has managed to reach the semifinals by defeating Singapore by 2-0. This means India at least securing a bronze medal in the team competition.
Even the men’s squash team of India has reached the semifinals.
What Anahat’s Silver Means for Her Career
This is because for Anahat, the silver medal in the Asian Games is certainly a big leap from achieving success at the junior level to recognition on the international senior stage.
This is because of the fact that the victory of her in a medal at the age of 18 when she became the first Indian woman to qualify for the finals in Asian Games in squash is a definite milestone in itself for her.
Moreover, her success in the semi-finals also proved that she can perform in very high pressure situations against experienced international players. Squash will make its debut at the Olympics in 2028 and so her growth will continue to be the story of Indian squash.
Conclusion
While Anahat Singh may have come up short in the quest for an Olympic Games gold medal, her journey has already made history in India.
At 18 years old, Singh became the first Indian woman to make the final of the Asian Games women’s singles squash tournament and to earn silver in the competition. Her semifinal battle against Japan’s Satomi Watanabe defined her journey, while her final match against defending champion Sivasangari Subramaniam gave her some top-level experience.
With the 2028 Olympics coming up, in which squash will feature for the first time ever, Singh’s silver medal could end up being an essential part of the beginning of her senior international career.
Anahat Singh may have come away empty-handed, but in winning a silver medal at 18, she already has made history in the Indian women’s game at the Asian Games.
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