First In The World: Malaysia Sends Squash To The Olympics

Ng Eain Yow and S. Sivasangari defended their Asian Games singles titles in Nagoya on Sunday (27 Sept) — and became the first squash players anywhere in the world to qualify for the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics.

Credit: Anwar Ibrahim/FB

In Brief

Ng Eain Yow and S. Sivasangari won squash singles gold at the 2026 Asian Games, becoming the first squash players to qualify for LA28.
Both players defended their titles without dropping a game, securing Malaysia's fifth and sixth gold medals of the Games.

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It was a golden Sunday for Malaysia on the squash court as Ng Eain Yow and S. Sivasangari both defended their singles titles at the Nagoya Kinjofuto Arena on 27 September 2026. Their wins also made them the first Malaysians to qualify for the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics, and the first squash players in the world to do so.

Ng went first. The top seed and world No. 18 beat India’s Abhay Singh, ranked 24th, 11-9, 11-5, 11-5 in the men’s final. Abhay pushed him in the opening game, which was level at 9-9, before Ng took control and closed out the match in about 39 minutes. The victory gave Malaysia its fifth gold of the Games.

Sivasangari, the world No. 5, then delivered the sixth, which met Malaysia’s target for the Games. She beat India’s Anahat Singh, the world No. 17 and reigning world junior champion, 11-4, 11-4, 11-7 in just 23 minutes. Like Ng, she did not drop a game all tournament. It was her fifth Asian Games medal. She’s the first Malaysian woman to win back-to-back Asiad singles titles since Datuk Nicol Ann David (2002–2014), and Malaysia has held the women’s singles crown since 2006.

@sportadicct Sivasangari berjaya pertahankan gelaran yg dimenanginya di Huangzhou 3 tahun dulu. Tahniah #sivasangari #menang #emas #skuasy #squash ♬ original sound – Sport Addict

A Ticket to LA28, and a Tribute to Those Before Them

Ng also made history. Only Ong Beng Hee had previously defended the men’s singles title for Malaysia, winning in 2002 and 2006.

Winning gold in Nagoya carried an automatic LA28 quota, so both players are through as squash makes its Olympic debut. “It’s the ticket to LA28,” Ng said. His stated goal is to become the best player in the world.

The win was also personal. The 28-year-old dedicated his gold to his mother, Low Soo Goon, who has been fighting leukaemia for the past two years, and called it a tribute to the generations of Malaysian players before him.

Sivasangari said the gold is a dream come true, but she wants to keep working harder. She also said she was glad she had kept her emotions in check and played her best squash on court.

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