‘I’m not happy with the way I played’: Anahat after Asian Games silver

India’s 18-year-old Anahat Singh admitted disappointment after losing the Asian Games women’s singles final to Malaysia’s Sivasangari Subramaniam. Despite settling for silver, the reigning Junior World Champion said the tournament had taught her valuable lessons about handling pressure.

Nagoya: India’s 18-year-old Anahat Singh admitted she was disappointed with her performance in the women’s singles final but said she would use her Asian Games silver as a learning experience after losing 4-11, 4-11, 7-11 to Malaysia’s defending champion Sivasangari Subramaniam at the Nagoya Kinjo Futo Arena on Sunday.

“I’m not happy at all with the way I played today. I think I could have definitely done a lot better. Maybe I got a bit too happy winning yesterday. I’m not too sure the adrenaline was too high, but I’ve definitely played a lot better than this. I’m still happy with the silver. It was more than I expected,” Anahat said after her final loss.

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The defeat ended Anahat’s bid to become the first squash player to secure direct qualification for the Los Angeles 2028 Olympics through the Asian Games, with the singles gold guaranteeing the quota at the continental event.

The teenager had arrived at the final after a remarkable semifinal comeback against Japan’s Satomi Watanabe, overturning a two-game deficit and saving two match points before becoming the first Indian to reach the women’s singles squash final at the Asian Games.

Reflecting on what she would take from the competition, Anahat focused on the experience of handling pressure at the highest level.

“Maybe, I mean there’s a lot that I’ve learned from this event. I played my match yesterday and there’s not really been many instances where I’ve come back from being down in a match. It’s always the other way around. But yeah, I mean just getting to learn how to handle being on these top stages. It’s only my second Asian game, so just learning how to handle that pressure and playing against players who are more experienced,” she stated.

Anahat, the reigning Junior World Champion, acknowledged the gap between herself and an established top-five player such as Sivasangari, who is ranked fifth in the world.

“A lot didn’t work today, but she’s number five. Like I said before, there’s still a lot for me to improve on and there’s still a huge gap. Not everyone realises, but even number five and number six, there’s a huge difference,” the young prodigy added.

She said reviewing the final would be part of her preparation for future meetings with Sivasangari and other leading players. “I can take this on and do that. As I play, I’m definitely going to try to get better and learn from it.”

Anahat will not have much time to dwell on the final. India’s team competition begins on Monday, with two matches scheduled on the opening day. The teenager said the squad would turn its attention to the team event after completing their individual and doubles commitments.

“We have a good chance. We have a really strong team this time. We have Joshna, we have Tanvi, who’s been playing at the Asian Games. Joshna has played so many times. She’s one of the best players that India has ever seen in squash. Just having those kinds of teammates by our side, it’s great. Hopefully, we can back each other up in the next coming week and pull off something great,” Anahat concluded.