KUALA LUMPUR — The national men’s and women’s squash teams must be wary of Hong Kong and India respectively if they intend to strike gold in the Hangzhou 2022 Asian Games to be held from September 23 to October 8.
Nonetheless, Squash Rackets Association of Malaysia (SRAM) coaching director Major (rtd) S. Maniam said Malaysia would formulate the best strategy to strengthen its reputation as one of the best teams in the region.
“We are targeting gold, so we may not have an easy path… You must work hard to earn the gold medal,” he said in a statement today.
Based on yesterday’s draw, Malaysia, the defending men’s team champions, have been drawn in Group B with Japan, South Korea, the Philippines, Thailand and reigning runners-up Hong Kong.
In the women’s team event, the Malaysian women are in Group B with Macau, Pakistan, Nepal and India, who gunned down Malaysia in the semi-finals in the previous edition.
The group winners and runners-up will advance to the semi-finals.
In addition, the national squash team will also be banking on Aifa Azman-Syafiq Kamal (Group B) and Rachel Arnold-Ivan Yuen (Group C) in the mixed doubles event, where the group winner and runner-up will advance to the quarter-finals.
In the men’s individual event, reigning Asian champion Ng Eain Yow has been given top billing and will enjoy a first-round bye before taking on either Guyen Davaajav (Mongolia) or Amjad Syed (Qatar) in the second round.
Teammate Muhammad Addeen Idrakie Bakhtiar, meanwhile, will face Nepal’s Arhant Keshar Simha in the first round.
The women’s individual event will see S. Sivasangari and world junior runner-up Aira Azman given a bye in the first round.
In the second round, joint third-fourth seed Sivasangari will take on either Nour Ul Ain Uaz (Pakistan) or Khulan Purevja (Mongolia) while Aira will face Macau’s Liu Kwai Chi, who also earned a first-round bye. — September 13, 2023