Abhay and Velavan Reach Finals in Asian Doubles Squash Championship

Kuala Lumpur, June 20: India’s quest to defend its title at the third Asian Doubles Squash Championship is progressing strongly. Top seeds Abhay Singh and Velavan Senthilkumar have secured their place in the finals. On Sunday, they will face the second-seeded Pakistani duo of Nasir Iqbal and Noor Zaman in the men’s doubles final.

On Saturday, Abhay and Velavan began their day by defeating Japan’s Naoki Hayashi and Ren Makino in a tough quarter-final match, winning 11-3, 10-12, 11-5. They then triumphed over Malaysia’s Sanjay Jiwa and Duncan Lee in the semi-finals with a score of 11-7, 11-9.

The Indian pair has not lost a single match leading up to the finals. They topped Pool A, defeating South Korea’s Oh Siojin and Minwoo Lee, followed by a commanding victory against Hong Kong’s Shing Fung Lam and Yat Long Chung in straight games.

However, disappointment struck in the women’s and mixed doubles events, as both teams saw their medal hopes end in the semi-finals. Second seeds Joshna Chinappa and Radhika Seelan were defeated by Malaysia’s top seeds Aina Amani and Yee Jin Ying, finishing with a bronze medal after losing 9-11, 7-11. Earlier in the tournament, the Indian duo dominated Pool B, winning all four of their league matches, including a straight-game victory against Singapore’s Wai Lin Ooi and Nisha Singh.

Joshna’s campaign in the mixed doubles also ended in the semi-finals. Partnering with Velavan Senthilkumar, they put up a strong fight against Malaysia’s Aina Amani and Mohammad Kamal but ultimately lost 8-11, 11-8, 8-11. This result earned the Indian pair a bronze medal, adding to their podium finish from last year’s event. Both players had shown impressive form, remaining undefeated in Pool B and defeating pairs from Singapore and South Korea to top their group.

India’s second men’s doubles pair, Rahul Baitha and Suraj Chand, could not advance after suffering their second loss in Pool B against Pakistan’s Nasir Iqbal and Noor Zaman. This duo will now pose a challenge to Abhay and Velavan in their quest to defend the title.