Dipika Pallikal, Harinder Sandhu win gold at Asian Games test event

India's Dipika Pallikal and Harinder Pal Sandhu won the gold medal at the Asian Mixed Doubles Squash Tournament in Hangzhou, a test event for the upcoming Hangzhou Asian Games, on Friday.

Seeded third, Dipika and Harinder dominated proceedings during the 2-0 win over second seeds Ivan Yuen and Rachel Arnold of Malaysia at the Hangzhou Olympic Sports Centre.

This was the first appearance by the 31-year-old Dipika since the 2022 Commonwealth Games in any event as she prepares for the continental showpiece three months down the line.

Earlier on Thursday, the Indian duo beat top seeded Malaysian pair Syafiq Kamal & Aifa Azman 2-0 in the semis.

The other Indian duo, Anahat Singh and Abhay Singh won the Bronze medal, also beating the top seeds on Friday.

The mixed doubles event is being held as a trial event for the Hangzhou Asian Games in September as China prepares to host the 19th Asian Games in September this year. It kicked off on June 26 with 21 teams consisting of 42 athletes from 10 countries and regions, including China, Hong Kong, India, and Malaysia.

This tournament marks the inclusion of mixed doubles as an official event in squash for the first time in the Hangzhou Asian Games. China is also hosting an Asian-level squash mixed doubles competition for the first time.

There will be five gold medals on offer at the Asian Games.