India’s Saurav Ghosal on Thursday clinched a silver medal in the Squash Men’s Singles at the ongoing 19th Asian Games. Over the course of both the Team and singles events, the 37-year-old showed why he continues to be one of the best male Squash players in the country with his power-pack performance in the gold clash. This was a 9th Asian Games medal for Saurav Ghosal and a 2nd silver in men’s singles after Incheon 2014.
With the silver, Saurav Ghosal also became India’s first squash player to win consecutive individual medals at the Asian Games since 2006. The maiden Asian Games gold medal in an individual event remains elusive, as the 37-year-old Indian icon went down fighting in a 1-3 defeat to Malaysia’s Ng Eain Yow.
In the last game, Saurav Ghosal was left chasing a cross-court thwack that hit the front wall and sped to the backcourt when Eain Yow NG eventually found him on the back wall. Saurav Ghosal began to run in the direction of the rear but realised after just two steps that he was chasing in vain. The 37-year-old Indian squash legend was defeated by the 25-year-old Malaysian player.
Saurav, who previously bagged a gold at the 19th Hangzhou in the men’s team event, clinched the first game by an 11-9 margin but then suffered 9-11, 5-11, 7-11 defeats. This is India’s 85th medal at the 19th Asian Games.
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Earlier in the day, Dipika Pallikal and Harinder Pal Singh Sandhu won gold in the final of the mixed doubles event. Dipika-Harinder defeated Malaysian pair Aifa Binti Azman/Mohammad Syafiq Bin Mohd Kamal in a close encounter. They won the match in 35 minutes in straight games 11-10, 11-10.
