Ameeshenraj emerged as the decisive player for the Malaysian men’s squash team as they secured a 2-1 semifinal victory over defending champions India at the Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games on Friday. His win against Velavan Senthilkumar, with scores of 10-12, 11-6, 11-8, 11-9 in a 22-minute match at the Kinjo Futo Arena, propelled Malaysia into the men’s team final for the first time since 2018, when they claimed the championship.

The opening match saw Malaysia’s top-ranked player, Ng Eain Yow, take an early lead by overcoming India’s Abhay Singh in straight sets, 11-8, 11-8, 11-8, in 27 minutes. However, India leveled the contest as Sanjay Jeeva was defeated by Veer Chotrani 4-11, 8-11, 5-11 in the second match. This set the stage for the decisive showdown between Ameeshenraj and Velavan, where the Malaysian player held his composure to clinch victory and the team’s place in the final.

Malaysia is set to face Pakistan in the gold medal match, a repeat of the 2010 Asian Games final in which Malaysia earned the silver medal.

In the women’s team competition, Malaysia will seek to defend their title against Hong Kong, replicating the matchup from the previous edition’s final. The Malaysian women’s squad, led by world No. 5 S. Sivasangari, overcame host nation Japan 2-0 in their semifinal encounter.

Sivasangari delivered a hard-fought victory against Japan’s world No. 6 Satomi Watanabe, prevailing in a five-set match with scores of 5-11, 11-7, 5-11, 11-6, 11-3 over 39 minutes. Following this, Aifa Azman secured the winning point by defeating Akari Midorikawa 11-8, 11-5, 11-3 in a 22-minute match, ensuring Malaysia’s place in the women’s final against Hong Kong.