India, Sept. 27 -- Abhay Singh had made it clear he wasn't at the 2026 Asian Games for a bronze. The gold proved a bridge too far, resulting in a first silver for India's No.1 male squash pro.

Abhay, ranked world No.26, lost to the 18th-ranked Malaysian defending champion Ng Eain Yow 3-0 (11-9, 11-5, 11-5) in the men's singles semi-final on Sunday.

The early Olympic spot for the 2028 LA Games was a near-miss but for Abhay, the headline-maker of India's team gold at the previous Asian Games, earning a first individual medal is a decent achievement.

Abhay is only the second Indian man to win an individual squash medal at the Asian Games, after Saurav Ghosal. Yow had beaten Ghosal in the 2023 final, and Yow was out there beating another I...