In a thrilling showdown at the Olympic Squash Center in Hangzhou, Malaysia's S. Sivasangari secured the gold medal in the women's individual squash event at the 2022 Asian Games. She defeated Hong Kong's Chan Sin Yuk in a closely contested match that ended 3-2 in her favor.

This victory came after Malaysia had previously thwarted Hong Kong's aspirations for victory in the women's team event, further highlighting their prowess in squash.

Sivasangari's gold medal marked Malaysia's fourth in the competition and provided a significant boost to the team's morale. This boost was much needed after the disappointment of Syafiq Kamal and Aifa Azman's loss to India's Sandhu Harinder Pal Singh and Karthik Dipika Pallikal in the mixed team final.

Notably, Sivasangari's achievement in the women's individual event added to her earlier success in the women's team event, making her a double gold medalist in squash at the 2022 Asian Games.

The path to victory in the individual event was not without challenges for Sivasangari. She faced a tough start, losing the first set 8-11, which marked the first time she had dropped a set throughout her individual campaign in the 2022 Asian Games. However, she mounted a comeback with a hard-fought 15-13 win in the second set. Despite Sin Yuk briefly regaining the lead by winning the third set 12-10, Sivasangari's resilience shone through as she won the fourth set 11-9. The match culminated in a tense fifth set, with Sivasangari ultimately securing the victory with a score of 12-10.

Prior to her triumph in the individual event, Sivasangari had already made her mark by advancing to the final for the second consecutive time at the Asian Games. In a significant display of skill, she defeated Satomi Watanabe, the Most Valuable Player (MVP) of the 2022 Women's World Team Championship, with a decisive 3-0 victory.

Source: Harian Metro