Asian Doubles Squash: India beats Pakistan in men's doubles, sweeps three titles

KUALA LUMPUR: India created history at the 2nd Asian Doubles Squash Championships with a clean sweep of all three gold medals, in Men’s Doubles, Women’s Doubles, and Mixed Doubles, a feat never before achieved by the country in any Asian or World doubles squash event.

The highlight of the day came in the Men’s Doubles final, where Abhay Singh and Velavan Senthilkumar overcame fierce rivals Noor Zaman and Nasir Iqbal of Pakistan in a tense

three-game thriller. After dropping the first game 9-11, the Indian pair roared back with sharp length, disciplined play, and excellent court coverage to take the next two games 11-5, 11-5. The 88-minute contest was gruelling in both intensity and duration, but Abhay and Velavan dominated the longer rallies and forced a flurry of errors from their tiring opponents to clinch the gold.

India’s golden run continued in the Women’s Doubles final as Joshna Chinappa and 17-year-old Anahat Singh stunned the top-seeded Malaysian duo of Amani and Xin Ying Yee. After losing the first game 8-11, the Indian pair found their rhythm and levelled the match by taking the second 11-9. In a dramatic decider, they clawed back from 5-9 down to level at 10-all, before Joshna sealed the win with a trademark winner under pressure to secure India’s second title of the day.

In the Mixed Doubles final, Abhay Singh returned to court, this time alongside Anahat Singh, to face Malaysia’s Ameeshenraj Chandran and Rachel Arnold. Despite having already played an exhausting men’s final earlier, Abhay showed no signs of fatigue. The Indian pair executed a smart game plan, placing the ball deep into the corners and forcing errors to seal a straight-game victory, 11-9, 11-7 in just 28 minutes.

The triple triumph marks a landmark moment for Indian squash, the first time the nation has swept all three golds at a major doubles event.