{"id":28920,"date":"2026-09-26T07:26:01","date_gmt":"2026-09-26T07:26:01","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/koshalsambada.in\/?p=28920"},"modified":"2026-09-26T07:26:01","modified_gmt":"2026-09-26T07:26:01","slug":"asian-games-anahat-singh-saves-two-match-points-to-stun-world-no-6-satomi-watanabe-now-one-win-away-from-historic-gold-and-la-olympics-asian-games-2026-news","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/koshalsambada.in\/?p=28920","title":{"rendered":"Asian Games: Anahat Singh saves two match points to stun world No. 6 Satomi Watanabe, now one win away from historic gold and LA Olympics | Asian Games 2026 News"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><br \/>\n<\/p>\n<div>\n<div class=\"e9jwa\">\n<div class=\"vdo_embedd\">\n<div class=\"GfdvZ\">\n<section class=\"_bIDB  clearfix id-r-component leadmedia undefined undefined  E9tg9 \" style=\"top:0px\">\n<div class=\"_bIDB\" data-ua-type=\"1\" onclick=\"stpPgtnAndPrvntDefault(event)\">\n<div class=\"ypVvZ\">\n<div class=\"WGttI\"><img src=\"https:\/\/static.toiimg.com\/thumb\/msid-134499029,imgsize-107562,width-400,height-225,resizemode-4\/asian-games-2026-squash.jpg\" alt=\"Asian Games: Anahat Singh saves two match points to stun world No. 6 Satomi Watanabe, now one win away from historic gold and LA Olympics\" title=\"Anahat Singh (PTI Photo)\" decoding=\"async\" fetchpriority=\"high\"\/><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/section>\n<\/div><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p>NEW DELHI: Indian squash sensation Anahat Singh produced the biggest victory of her career, fighting back from two games down to defeat Japan\u2019s world No. 6 Satomi Watanabe and storm into the women\u2019s singles final at the Asian Games 2026 on Saturday.<!-- --> The 18-year-old is now just one win away from a historic gold medal and a place at the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics, where squash will make its debut.<span class=\"id-r-component br\" data-pos=\"3\"\/>The world No. 17 Indian, playing in front of a home crowd supporting Watanabe, showed extraordinary resilience to prevail 9-11, 11-13, 12-10, 11-6, 11-3 in a gripping five-game semifinal at the Nagoya Kinjo Futo Arena. Anahat\u2019s victory also avenged her earlier five-game defeat to the Japanese star this year.<span class=\"id-r-component br\" data-pos=\"7\"\/>The stakes could hardly be higher. The Asian Games singles competitions serve as the Asian continental qualification event for the LA Olympics, giving Anahat an opportunity to secure a place at squash\u2019s first appearance on the Olympic programme.<span class=\"id-r-component br\" data-pos=\"9\"\/><span class=\"id-r-component br\" data-pos=\"11\"\/><\/p>\n<p><h2>Anahat saves two match points to turn the contest around<\/h2>\n<\/p>\n<p><span class=\"id-r-component br\" data-pos=\"13\"\/>Anahat\u2019s route to the final was anything but straightforward. Watanabe, the home favourite, used her variations, changes of pace and sharp angles to take the opening two games, leaving the Indian with a daunting challenge.<span class=\"id-r-component br\" data-pos=\"16\"\/>The teenager, however, refused to surrender. Trailing 8-10 in the third game, she saved two match points before fighting back to win 12-10 and keep her hopes alive.<span class=\"id-r-component br\" data-pos=\"18\"\/><a href=\"https:\/\/timesofindia.indiatimes.com\/sports\/asian-games\" rel=\"noopener\" styleobj=\"[object Object]\" class=\"\" commonstate=\"[object Object]\" frmappuse=\"1\" target=\"_blank\">Asian Games Full Coverage<\/a> | <a href=\"https:\/\/timesofindia.indiatimes.com\/sports\/asian-games\/medal-tally\" styleobj=\"[object Object]\" class=\"\" commonstate=\"[object Object]\" frmappuse=\"1\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Medal Tally<\/a> | <a href=\"https:\/\/timesofindia.indiatimes.com\/sports\/asian-games\/schedule\" rel=\"noopener\" styleobj=\"[object Object]\" class=\"\" commonstate=\"[object Object]\" frmappuse=\"1\" target=\"_blank\">Schedule<\/a><span class=\"id-r-component br\" data-pos=\"24\"\/>The contest also featured an unfortunate collision between the two players. As Anahat attempted to retrieve a ball, her head collided with Watanabe\u2019s shoulder, prompting a brief stoppage for medical attention. After receiving treatment, the Indian returned to the court and continued her fightback.<span class=\"id-r-component br\" data-pos=\"27\"\/>With the momentum swinging her way, Anahat dominated the fourth game, winning it 11-6 to level the match at 2-2. In the deciding game, she was in complete control, attacking confidently and denying Watanabe an opportunity to recover. Anahat raced to an 11-3 win to complete a remarkable comeback and book her place in the final.<span class=\"id-r-component br\" data-pos=\"29\"\/>The victory marks a significant milestone in the young Indian\u2019s career, as she now has an opportunity to win the Asian Games title and take a major step towards the Olympic stage.<span class=\"id-r-component br\" data-pos=\"32\"\/><\/p>\n<p><h2>Historic gold and Olympic qualification within reach<\/h2>\n<\/p>\n<p><span class=\"id-r-component br\" data-pos=\"34\"\/>With squash set to make its Olympic debut at Los Angeles 2028, the Asian Games singles events carry added significance. The continental competition provides a qualification pathway for Asian players, placing Anahat on the brink of a potentially historic achievement.<span class=\"id-r-component br\" data-pos=\"37\"\/>The Indian teenager\u2019s final appearance also offers her an opportunity to build on the progress she has made on the international circuit. Having overcome one of the tournament\u2019s leading contenders in her own backyard, she will now look to carry that momentum into the gold-medal match.<span class=\"id-r-component br\" data-pos=\"40\"\/>Earlier in the day, India\u2019s Joshna Chinappa and Velavan Senthilkumar had to settle for bronze in the mixed doubles after losing a closely fought semifinal against Hong Kong\u2019s Tang Ming Hong and Lee Ka Yi.<span class=\"id-r-component br\" data-pos=\"42\"\/>The Indian pair went down 10-11, 11-2, 10-11 in an intense three-game contest. After narrowly losing the opening game, Joshna and Velavan responded emphatically to take the second, but Hong Kong held their nerve in the deciding game to reach the final.<span class=\"id-r-component br\" data-pos=\"44\"\/>Anahat\u2019s victory, however, ensured that India\u2019s hopes of a squash gold remained alive, with the teenager now one match away from adding a landmark title to her growing list of achievements.<\/div>\n<p><br \/>\n<br \/><a href=\"https:\/\/timesofindia.indiatimes.com\/sports\/asian-games-2026\/asian-games-anahat-singh-saves-two-match-points-to-stun-world-no-6-moves-one-win-away-from-historic-gold-and-la-olympics\/articleshow\/134498997.cms\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Source link <\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>NEW DELHI: Indian squash sensation Anahat Singh produced the biggest victory of her career, fighting back from two games down to defeat Japan\u2019s world No. 6 Satomi Watanabe and storm into the women\u2019s singles final at the Asian Games 2026 on Saturday. The 18-year-old is now just one win away from a historic gold medal [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":28921,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[31],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-28920","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-31"],"magazineBlocksPostFeaturedMedia":{"thumbnail":"https:\/\/koshalsambada.in\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/asian-games-2026-squash.jpg","medium":"https:\/\/koshalsambada.in\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/asian-games-2026-squash.jpg","medium_large":"https:\/\/koshalsambada.in\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/asian-games-2026-squash.jpg","large":"https:\/\/koshalsambada.in\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/asian-games-2026-squash.jpg","1536x1536":"https:\/\/koshalsambada.in\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/asian-games-2026-squash.jpg","2048x2048":"https:\/\/koshalsambada.in\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/asian-games-2026-squash.jpg","blogsy-small":"https:\/\/koshalsambada.in\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/asian-games-2026-squash.jpg","blogsy-small-tall":"https:\/\/koshalsambada.in\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/asian-games-2026-squash.jpg","blogsy-small-square":"https:\/\/koshalsambada.in\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/asian-games-2026-squash.jpg","blogsy-small-masonry":"https:\/\/koshalsambada.in\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/asian-games-2026-squash.jpg","blogsy-medium":"https:\/\/koshalsambada.in\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/asian-games-2026-squash.jpg","blogsy-medium-masonry":"https:\/\/koshalsambada.in\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/asian-games-2026-squash.jpg","blogsy-large":"https:\/\/koshalsambada.in\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/asian-games-2026-squash.jpg","blogsy-wide":"https:\/\/koshalsambada.in\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/asian-games-2026-squash.jpg"},"magazineBlocksPostAuthor":{"name":"admin","avatar":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/8709732a479614e7a8aa24d3eb1b239f30dc6d90c61464ed495001e7a469d856?s=96&d=mm&r=g"},"magazineBlocksPostCommentsNumber":"0","magazineBlocksPostExcerpt":"NEW DELHI: Indian squash sensation Anahat Singh produced the biggest victory of her career, fighting back from two games down to defeat Japan\u2019s world No. 6 Satomi Watanabe and storm into the women\u2019s singles final at the Asian Games 2026 on Saturday. The 18-year-old is now just one win away from a historic gold medal [&hellip;]","magazineBlocksPostCategories":["\u0b26\u0b47\u0b36 \u0b2c\u0b3f\u0b26\u0b47\u0b36"],"magazineBlocksPostViewCount":3,"magazineBlocksPostReadTime":3,"magazine_blocks_featured_image_url":{"full":["https:\/\/koshalsambada.in\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/asian-games-2026-squash.jpg",400,225,false],"medium":["https:\/\/koshalsambada.in\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/asian-games-2026-squash.jpg",300,169,false],"thumbnail":["https:\/\/koshalsambada.in\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/asian-games-2026-squash.jpg",150,84,false]},"magazine_blocks_author":{"display_name":"admin","author_link":"https:\/\/koshalsambada.in\/author\/admin"},"magazine_blocks_comment":0,"magazine_blocks_author_image":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/8709732a479614e7a8aa24d3eb1b239f30dc6d90c61464ed495001e7a469d856?s=96&d=mm&r=g","magazine_blocks_category":"<a href=\"#\" class=\"category-link category-link-31\">\u0b26\u0b47\u0b36 \u0b2c\u0b3f\u0b26\u0b47\u0b36<\/a>","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/koshalsambada.in\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/28920","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/koshalsambada.in\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/koshalsambada.in\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/koshalsambada.in\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/koshalsambada.in\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=28920"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/koshalsambada.in\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/28920\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/koshalsambada.in\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/28921"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/koshalsambada.in\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=28920"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/koshalsambada.in\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=28920"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/koshalsambada.in\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=28920"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}