Asian Games: India Claims 20th Gold with Dipika-Harinder’s Squash Win

India secured another gold medal in squash as the Indian duo of Dipika Pallikal and Harinder Pal Singh Sandhu emerged victorious in the mixed doubles final on Thursday.

Dipika and Harinder faced off against the Malaysian pair of Aifa Binti Azman and Mohammad Syafiq Bin Mohd Kamal in a closely contested match, which concluded in just 35 minutes with a straight games victory of 11-10, 11-10.

In the opening game, Malaysia initially held the upper hand, but India staged a comeback, narrowly clinching the game 11-10. The second game saw India take a commanding 9-3 lead, but Malaysia managed to level the score. However, Sandhu secured two crucial points to ensure India’s 20th gold medal.

The Sports Authority of India (SAI) celebrated the achievement, stating, “Indian Squash Reigns Supreme! Our dynamic mixed doubles team of @DipikaPallikal and @sandhu_harinder clinches GOLD, defeating Malaysia by a score of 2-0 in the final at #AsianGames2022! Join us in celebrating this golden achievement and sending them our heartfelt congratulations!”

Earlier, Dipika and Harinder secured their spot in the mixed doubles final by defeating the Hong Kong duo of Lee Ka Yi and Wong Chi Him with a score of 2-1. Although India lost the first set 7-11, they made a comeback by winning the second game 11-7 and eventually clinched the third set 11-9.

In addition to the mixed doubles victory, Saurav Ghosal added to India’s squash success by advancing to the men’s singles squash final. Ghosal secured a medal for India by defeating Hong Kong’s Chi Hin Henry Leung in the semi-final with a score of 11-2, 11-1, 11-6.

Ghosal also played a pivotal role in India’s gold medal win in the men’s team squash event against arch-rivals Pakistan. India emerged victorious with a score of 2-1 in the final, securing the gold medal.

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