HK women claim squash team silver after tight final defeat to Malaysia

Hong Kong’s women’s squash team narrowly missed out on recapturing the Asian Games crown in Japan, falling 2-1 to defending champions Malaysia in a tense final that echoed their gold-medal showdown in Hangzhou three years earlier.

The opening match of the best-of-three tie put the Hong Kong squad on the back foot when Ho Tze-lok struggled to establish rhythm against Aifa Azman. 

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Ho was unable to stem her opponent’s momentum, dropping three straight games as Malaysia took a commanding initial lead in the championship contest.

Facing a must-win situation in the second set, Simmi Chan delivered an exceptional performance against individual singles gold medallist Sivasangari Subramaniam. 

In a direct rematch of their earlier singles semi-final encounter, Chan showed remarkable resilience under pressure.

After falling behind two games to one, the top-ranked Hong Kong player mounted a determined comeback.

Chan seized control of the fourth and deciding fifth games through sharp tactical shot-making, completing a hard-fought 3-2 victory in 51 minutes to level the overall tie and push the final to a decisive third match.

The gold medal ultimately came down to the third set between Lee Ka-yi and Aira Azman, the younger sister of opening-match winner Aifa. 

Aira displayed dominant form from the start, overpowering Lee with swift court coverage and precise finishing to claim a 3-0 sweep and ensure the championship remained in Malaysian hands.

Despite the heartbreak in the final, the silver medal concluded a productive Asian Games outing for Hong Kong’s squash contingent, which finished the tournament with a total haul of one gold, two silvers, and two bronzes.

In recognition of their runner-up finish, the Hong Kong women’s squad will be awarded a cash incentive of HK$1 million under the Jockey Club Athlete Incentive Awards Scheme. 

𝗗𝗼𝘄𝗻𝗹𝗼𝗮𝗱 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗦𝘁𝗮𝗻𝗱𝗮𝗿𝗱 𝗔𝗽𝗽 ↓