Asian Games Squash: Women's team wins bronze

The Indian women's squash team settled for a bronze medal after losing an intense encounter against Hong Kong in the Asian Games in Hangzhou on Friday.

The opening match featured Tanvi Khanna, who faced off against Chan Sy from Hong Kong. Tanvi started off strongly, taking an early lead. However, as the match unfolded, the pressure mounted, and she eventually succumbed to her opponent. The final scores told the story: 6-11, 7-11, 3-11. Tanvir's defeat handed Hong Kong a crucial 1-0 lead.

In the second match, Joshna Chinnappa faced off against Ho Tl. The first game proved challenging for Joshna, who couldn't manage to level the score and lost 7-11. However, she staged a remarkable comeback in the second game, securing an 11-7 victory. Despite a narrow 9-11 loss in the third game, Joshna's determination shone through as she won the fourth game with a score of 11-6.

With everything on the line, the match came down to the fifth game, where Joshna achieved the unimaginable by defeating the 24th-ranked player in the world from Hong Kong. Her outstanding performance helped India draw level 1-1 in the tie.

Although Joshna's victory was commendable, it wasn't enough for India to secure a spot in the finals. The stakes were high as Anahat Singh stepped onto the court to face Lee Ky. Anahat encountered a formidable opponent and experienced defeat in the first two games (11-8, 11-7) without any significant fight.

However, the 16-year-old prodigy displayed extraordinary determination in the third game, mounting a spectacular comeback from a 10-2 deficit to tie the score at 10-10. Nevertheless, Lee Ky managed to eke out a narrow victory with a final score of 12-10.

The men's squash team will face Malaysia in the semifinals later today at 4:00 PM IST.