Golden harvest?: Aifa Azman (left) and Syafiq Kamal, Ng Eain Yow (inset) and S. Sivasangari (below) are on track to bag three squash medals. — bernama
AFTER 12 days at the Hangzhou Asian Games, Malaysia have won three gold medals. They could double it in just one day today, thanks to the squash team.
Men’s singles Ng Eain Yow, women’s singles S. Sivasangari have joined mixed doubles pair of Mohd Syafiq Kamal-Aifa Azman in the finals of their respective events.
Sivasangari, Malaysia’s flagbearer at the opening ceremony, will be under the spotlight again when she takes on Hong Kong’s No. 2 Chan Sin Yuk in the women’s final at the HOC Squash Centre today.
The 24-year-old showed her class by beating top seed Satomi Watanabe of Japan 11-8, 11-8, 11-4 to storm into the women’s singles final yesterday.
Sin Yuk, who is ranked 43rd in the world, surprised her teammate and national No. 1 Ho Tze Lok 11-4, 11-5, 11-8 to enter her first individual final.
Sivasangari was just happy to make it to the individual final for the second time, after losing in the final to Datuk Nicol David in her Asiad debut in Indonesia five years ago.
S. Sivasangari: ‘I wish to express my gratitude to OCM for picking me as one of the flag bearers for the Asian Games.’
“She (Watanabe) is a good friend but obviously it’s tough on court. I did really well to win in three, but not just that, trying to take the lead in each and every game.
“I have played her so many times and we know each other’s game very well,” Sivasangari, who already has one gold medal in these Games after leading Malaysia to a 2-1 victory over Hong Kong in the team final last week.
“I just need one more good performance and my mission will be accomplished here,” said Sivasangari.
Eain Yow is also just one match away from ending a 13-year gold drought for Malaysia. Azlan Iskandar was the last Malaysian to win the men’s singles event, at the Guangzhou Asian Games back in 2010.
The top seeded Malaysian overcame Qatar’s Abdullah Altamimi 10-12, 11-7, 11-9, 11-5 yesterday to step into the final for the first time.
Eain Yow will take on India’s Saurav Ghosal, who had an easy 11-2, 11-1, 11-6 win over Henry Leung of Hong Kong, in the final.
“I lost to him in four games in the team final last week, so I will go back tonight and watch some videos and have a good massage to be ready tomorrow.
“Mentally, I am ready. If I can play according to my game plan, I have a chance to come out on top,” said Eain Yow.
