India secured the gold medal in the mixed doubles final of the squash event courtesy of squash stars Dipika Pallikal, Harinder Pal Singh Sandhu in the mixed doubles. They beat the Malaysian duo of Aifa and Syafiq to win the country's 20th gold medal, and 83rd in total.
The Indian team narrowly secured a victory with scores of 11-10, 11-10 against Aifa Binti Azman and Mohammad Syafiq Bin Mohd Kamal, completing the match in 35 minutes.
Although they were on the verge of a straightforward victory, the Indians momentarily lost their focus, allowing their opponents to score easy points in the second game.
The Malaysian pair made a remarkable comeback, scoring seven points in a row to move from 3-9 to 10-9. However, Harinder and Dipika regained their momentum to finalize the win.
Possibly marking her final appearance at this major continental event, Dipika bagged two medals: a bronze in the women's team category and a gold in mixed doubles. The 32-year-old now has a collection of six medals, which includes one gold, one silver, and four bronze medals from her participation in four Asian Games tournaments.
Later in the day, India's squash sensation, Saurav Ghosal, added a silver medal to the nation's medal count at the Asian Games 2023. In the men's singles final, he was bested by Malaysia's Wain Yow with match scores of 11-9, 9-11, 5-11, 7-11.
The match was characterized by its extended rallies, with Yow displaying dominance in the front court. Ghosal started off on a high note, taking the lead in the first game. However, Yow's strategy of drawing out the rallies worked in his favor, pushing Ghosal on the back foot and orchestrating a turnaround.
This achievement in Hangzhou is another feather in Ghosal's cap at the Asian Games. He had previously bagged bronze medals in 2006, 2010, and 2018, and a silver in 2014 in Incheon.
Ghosal's path to the final was marked by consistent performances. He began with a decisive victory over Kuwait's Ammar Al Tamimi in the pre-quarterfinals. He then displayed his prowess by defeating Japan's Ryunosuke Tsukue 3-0 (11-5, 12-10, 11-3) in the quarter-finals, ensuring his spot in the semi-finals and cementing India's medal position in the Hangzhou Games.
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