Mumbai : In the previous Asian Games in Hangzhou, Anahat Singh did not feature in the singles, had two Indian squash stars lead the women’s team to the podium, and dabbled for a no-pressure mixed doubles bronze.
A “greenhorn,” as Saurav Ghosal, the two-time medallist of 2023 Hangzhou, put it.
“Tactically, it’s a bit more clear cut. It’s about Anahat making Satomi play the game that she wants to play, versus the other way around. If she can execute her tactics well, she can be in a good position to win that match. If that were to happen – and that’s a big if – the last woman likely standing from the other half will be the top seed.
In her half of the draw is Satomi, the world No.6 Japanese who took the bronze in Hangzhou. The 27-year-old is 1-0 against the Indian, but Anahat took her the distance in a 11-6, 11-6, 2-11, 8-11, 6-11 defeat in the Sprott Tournament of Champions in January. Sivasangari, the Malaysian world No.5 defending champion, has been in blazing form lately. Anahat got a taste of it earlier this month, when Sivasangari brushed her aside 11-4, 11-4 in the quarter-finals of the London Squash Classic. In their only previous meeting, Anahat lost in four games at the 2025 British Open.
For Ghosal, Satomi is a better match-up compared to Sivasangari for Anahat due to their different game style.
“Satomi is someone who hits the ball flat, plays at a very high pace, a lot of shot kills and things like that,” Ghosal said.
In this Asian Games in Aichi-Nagoya, Anahat is the highest-ranked player in the team at world No.20 and the third seed in singles with not just a presence but a realistic shot at the podium. Athletes often try to downplay narratives around a high-stakes event for them. Not Anahat. “But the added benefit of the Olympic spot is a great place to be in, almost two years out.
A “big gun,” as Ghosal put it. Soon after becoming the world junior champion in July, she told HT: “Right now, the Asian Games is the most important event of my life. “Winning an individual medal itself is an aim because she doesn’t have that,” Ghosal, the Hangzhou singles silver medallist who is now Anahat’s mentor, said.
