Asian Junior Team C'ships: India falls short in semi-final despite Anahat's victory

The Indian boys' and girls' squash teams lost their respective semi-final clashes at the 2025 Asian Junior Team Championships against Malaysia and hosts Hong Kong at the Hong Kong Squash Centre on Saturday.

India's star player Anahat Singh won her match against Ka Huen Leung, but the Indian girls' team still suffered a 1-2 loss as Anika Dubey and Akanksha Gupta were unable to convert their matches.

The day started on a positive note for India, as the boys' team took an early lead against Malaysia in the semi-final, thanks to Yusha Nafees' four-game (3-11, 11-4, 11-6, 11-6) victory over Altamis A. Sufian.

However, Malaysia bounced back in the second match of the tie, with Harith Danial Jefri easing past young Indian Arihant Kalamangalam Sunil (11-7, 11-9, 11-4) to force a decider.

The final match was a thrilling encounter lasting 57 minutes, where Nickhileswar Moganasundharam defeated Sandhesh Palanivel Ravikumar in four games (7-11, 11-7, 11-8, 11-7), securing Malaysia’s spot in the final.

Anahat forces a comeback

In the women's semi-final tie, top-seeded Hong Kong started strong as Tsz Ching Cheung dominated Anika Dubey with a commanding 3-0 (11-4, 11-4, 11-6) victory in the opening match.

Anahat Singh, however, kept India's hopes alive with a straight-game win (12-10, 11-7, 11-7) against Ka Huen Leung, forcing a decider.

In the end, Hong Kong clinched the match and booked their place in the final, as Akanksha Gupta had no answers to Ena Kwong, losing in just 22 minutes (0-11, 6-11, 4-11).

India still has a chance to secure a podium finish, as both the boys' and girls' teams will compete for the bronze medal tomorrow against Pakistan and Singapore, respectively.