Picture Credit: Twitter
India were hunting for their maiden Squash World Cup title and were well on their way after topping their group with wins over Hong Kong, South Africa, and Japan. However, India’s campaign at the Squash World Cup 2023 ended in the semi-finals after losing to Malaysia 3-0 on Friday, June 16 at the Express Avenue Mall in Chennai.
The first match saw India's Abhay Singh lose to Malaysia's Sai Hung 4-7, 7-5, 7-1, 1-7, 6-7. In an intense battle, Hung managed to emerge victorious with a 3-2 scoreline, snatching the crucial victory in a 6-6 decider. Aira Azman defeated Joshna Chinappa 3-1 in the second game, securing a 2-0 lead for the visitors.
Veteran Saurav Ghoshal had induced an injury in the initial match against Japan which prevented him from playing his best game. Ghosal succumbed to the Malaysian player Pragasam in the final game, which sealed the 3-0 win for the visitors.
“Saurav’s someone I’ve looked up to since forever. He’s one of the greatest Asian players and Indian players. I saw he was struggling a bit and I said ‘I have a chance today’ but hats off to him, he fought to the end even though he was hurting. You guys have to be really proud of him,” Malaysia’s Pragasam said.
World No. 4 seeded Malaysia will now face Egypt in the final.
