India Triumphs: Squash Gold And Historic Hockey Victory Over Pakistan At Hangzhou Asian Games

In a nail-biting gold medal showdown at the Hangzhou Asian Games , India 's men's squash team secured victory, followed by a one-sided domination on the hockey field against neighbouring Pakistan , marking a memorable Day 7 for India.

After an eight-year wait, the men's squash team clinched the Asiad gold in a thrilling 2-1 final. Harmanpreet Singh and his team then proceeded to deliver an astonishing 10-2 thrashing to Pakistan during a Pool A match, marking India's most significant win against their arch-rivals. This resounding victory also secured India's place in the semifinals of the men's hockey competition.

Abhay Singh emerged victorious in a gruelling battle against Noor Zaman earlier in the day, earning the biggest prise of his career as India's top-seeded squash player. This triumph helped India regain the squash gold.

The Indian men's team had high expectations of standing atop the podium after eight years, with tough competition expected from Malaysia and Pakistan. Led by Saurav Ghosal, the team successfully navigated through both opponents to achieve glory. Notably, the final win over Pakistan came after a previous loss to them in the league stage.

In a thrilling showdown, the final was locked at 1-1 after Ghosal and Nasir Iqbal claimed their respective singles matches. The gold medal would be decided in the match between 25-year-old Abhay and the teenager Zaman . Zaman held a 9-7 lead in the fourth game and even had two match balls at 10-8 in the deciding game, but Abhay managed a remarkable comeback to secure victory. The final scoreline reflected the intense contest: 11-7, 9-11, 8-11, 11-9, 12-10.

In the evening, captain Harmanpreet Singh led from the front with a remarkable performance, scoring four goals as India triumphed over Pakistan in a dominant display on the hockey field.

Harmanpreet found the net in the 11th, 17th, 33rd, and 34th minutes, while Varun Kumar contributed with two goals in the 41st and 54th minutes. Mandeep Singh (8th), Sumit (30th), Samsher Singh (46th), and Lalit Kumar Upadhyay (49th) also added to India's goal tally.

Although Pakistan managed to reduce the margin with goals from Muhammad Khan (38th) and Abdul Rana (45th), India controlled the majority of the match. This contest marked the 180th meeting between the two teams, with India's 8-goal margin win being their largest-ever victory over Pakistan in the history of their hockey rivalry. India's previous biggest margin was a 7-1 win against Pakistan in 2017, while Pakistan's 7-1 victory in the final of the 1982 Asian Games in New Delhi had been their most significant triumph over India.

In essence, India avenged the humiliating loss suffered 41 years ago in the 1982 Asian Games final against Pakistan. With four consecutive wins and 12 points, India maintained their position at the top of Pool A. Their final Pool A match will be against Bangladesh on October 2.