The Indian mixed doubles squash pair, consisting of 15-year-old Anahat Singh and Abhay Singh, faced a 1-2 defeat against the Malaysian duo Aifa Binti Azman and Mohd Syafiq Kamal in the semifinal, ultimately securing a bronze medal at the 19th Asian Games.
In a closely contested match, the Indian pair battled hard but fell short, losing 11-8, 2-11, 9-11 in the deciding game against their Malaysian opponents.
Meanwhile, in the mixed team event, the Indian duo of Dipika Pallikal and Harinder Pal Singh advanced to the final with a 2-1 victory over Hong Kong’s Lee Ya Ki and Wong Chi Him.
Dipika and Harinder displayed their resilience by recovering from a first-game loss to win 7-11, 11-7, 11-9 in a tightly contested semifinal match that lasted 38 minutes. It’s worth noting that mixed doubles squash made its debut at the Asian Games in 2022.
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In the initial stages of the match, Dipika and Harinder faced a 0-3 deficit, and despite their efforts to mount a comeback, the Hong Kong pair extended their lead to 5-1. Although the Indians narrowed the gap to 4-6, their opponents maintained control and secured the first game 11-7 in just 10 minutes.
The second game saw both teams locked in a close contest until the Indian duo surged ahead with five consecutive points, establishing an 8-3 lead. They eventually closed out the game with an 11-7 victory in 10 minutes.
The third game witnessed a neck-and-neck battle, with the score tied at 4-4. Dipika and Harinder maintained their composure and leveled the scores regularly until 9-9, after which they secured the next two points, winning the game and the match, thus securing a place in the final.
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The gold medal match for mixed doubles squash is scheduled for Thursday. India has already achieved a gold medal in the men’s team event and a bronze in the women’s team at the Hangzhou Games.
