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NAGOYA, Japan – The Malaysian contingent finally achieved its six-gold target at the 2026 Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games after national squash players Ng Eain Yow and S. Sivasangari defended their men’s and women’s singles titles respectively on Sunday.
The double delight completed the gold-medal target set by the national contingent before the Games, providing a fitting finale to Malaysia’s ninth day of competition at the quadrennial sporting event.
However, the limelight today was not only on squash, as several other sports also recorded positive developments, including diving, which contributed two medals to the national contingent.
The pairing of Enrique Harrold-Elvis Priestly won silver in the men’s synchronised 10-metre platform with 377.52 points at the Tokyo Aquatics Centre, while Ong Ker Ying-Lee Yiat Qing added bronze in the women’s synchronised 3m springboard with 243.72 points.
That saw the divers continue to play an important role in Malaysia’s medal hunt, after Yong Rui Jie-Nurqayyum Nazmi Mohd Nazim also won bronze in the men’s synchronised 3m springboard a day earlier.
In athletics, Danish Iftikhar Muhammad Roslee finished sixth in the men’s 200m final in 20.89 seconds, recording a season-best time.
The 19-year-old sprinter had earlier made history by becoming the first Malaysian in 44 years to qualify for the Asian Games final in the event.
In badminton, Pearly Tan-M. Thinaah assured Malaysia of at least a bronze medal after storming into the women’s doubles semi-finals, ending the country’s 12-year wait to return to the podium in the event.
However, Goh Sze Fei-Nur Izzuddin Mohd Rumsani crashed out in the men’s doubles quarter-finals.
Overall, today’s achievements showed that Malaysia’s medal contributions came from several different sports, rather than just the two gold medals that completed the target.
Diving added two medals, while badminton, athletics and squash continued to provide positive developments as the Games entered their final phase.
With the six-gold target now achieved, Malaysia athletes will shift their focus to increasing the overall medal tally in the remaining competitions before the Games end on Oct 4. –BERNAMA
