Malaysia’s top‑seeded squash players, Eain and Sivasangari, retained their Asian Games titles on Thursday, securing gold medals in the singles events and becoming the first athletes to qualify for the 2028 Los Angeles Olympic Games.
The pair entered the competition as the favourites and lived up to expectations, winning their respective finals without dropping a game. Their victories not only defended the titles they won at the previous Asian Games but also earned them direct qualification spots for the upcoming Olympics.
By clinching the Olympic berths, Eain and Sivasangari join a select group of athletes who have already locked in places for LA28, marking a historic moment for Malaysian squash as the sport looks to expand its presence on the Olympic stage.
The Asian Games, held this year in Hangzhou, China, are the continent’s premier multi‑sport event and have featured squash since 1998. Malaysia has traditionally been a strong contender in the sport, regularly producing world‑ranked players and medalists.
With their Olympic qualification confirmed, the Malaysian duo will now focus on preparation for the Los Angeles Games, aiming to translate their Asian Games success into a strong performance on the world’s biggest sporting platform.
<small>Source: Al Jazeera — read the original story there.</small>