KUALA LUMPUR, Oct 5, 2026 — Malaysia’s squash stars Ng Eain Yow and S Sivasangari have become the first squash players to secure qualification places for the Los Angeles 2028 Olympic Games, fulfilling part of former world No. 1 Datuk Nicol David’s long-standing Olympic dream.
The achievement came after both players successfully defended their men’s and women’s singles titles at the Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games in Japan.
Eain Yow defeated India’s Abhay Singh 11-9, 11-5, 11-5 to retain the men’s singles gold, while Sivasangari overcame India’s Anahat Singh 11-4, 11-4, 11-7 in the women’s final.
Their victories secured Malaysia’s first two squash qualification places for LA28.
Nicol, an eight-time world champion who retired in 2019, had spent years campaigning for squash to be included in the Olympics. The sport was eventually approved for the Los Angeles Games in October 2023, but Nicol had already ended her playing career without an opportunity to compete at the Olympics.
The Malaysian squash campaign in Nagoya continued to produce strong results, with the national team collecting four gold medals and one bronze.
Malaysia’s women’s team retained its Asian Games title after defeating Hong Kong China 2-1, while the men’s team reclaimed the gold medal by beating Pakistan 2-0.
For Sivasangari, the achievement marked another major milestone following her recovery from a serious road accident four years ago that caused neck and spinal injuries.
Eain Yow, meanwhile, said he remains determined to achieve even more in the sport, including becoming world No. 1, world champion and Olympic champion.
With squash making its Olympic debut at LA28, Eain Yow and Sivasangari will now carry Malaysia’s hopes as the country prepares for its first Olympic squash campaign.
Their qualification also marks a new chapter for Malaysian squash — one that builds on the legacy established by Nicol David and previous generations of national players.
-FMT
