Chief Minister C Joseph Vijay congratulates Chennai squash player after his men’s singles silver at Aichi-Nagoya Games
Chennai, Sept 2026 : Tamil Nadu Chief Minister C Joseph Vijay on Sunday announced a Rs 50 lakh incentive for squash player Abhay Singh after the Chennai-based athlete won the silver medal in the men’s singles event at the 2026 Asian Games in Japan.
Congratulating Singh on his achievement, Vijay said the performance had brought pride to Tamil Nadu and India. He said the state government would honour the player with the cash incentive in recognition of his performance at the continental Games.
The Chief Minister also expressed hope that Singh’s success would inspire young athletes across Tamil Nadu to pursue sporting careers and aim for international success. He extended his wishes to the squash player for further achievements representing the state and the country.
Singh secured the silver after losing the men’s singles final to Malaysia’s defending champion Ng Eain Yow. The Malaysian won the title in straight games, 11-9, 11-5, 11-5. Singh’s silver is only India’s second medal in men’s singles squash at the Asian Games, after Saurav Ghosal’s silver at Hangzhou in 2023.
The result adds an individual Asian Games medal to Singh’s earlier achievements in the team and mixed doubles events. At the Hangzhou Games, he was part of India’s gold-winning men’s squash team. In the final against Pakistan, Singh defeated Noor Zaman in the deciding match to secure the team title for India.
He also partnered Anahat Singh to win a bronze medal in mixed doubles at Hangzhou, establishing himself as one of India’s leading squash players on the international circuit.
Singh has continued to produce strong performances since the previous Asian Games. Earlier this year, he won the men’s title at the Indian Open, defeating fellow Indian Veer Chotrani in straight games.
His latest medal also adds to India’s squash haul at the ongoing Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games. Singh’s silver came on the same day that Anahat Singh also secured silver in the women’s singles event, giving India two individual squash medals.
For Tamil Nadu, the reward is part of the state’s efforts to recognise athletes who achieve success at major international competitions. The state government has previously announced cash incentives for medal-winning athletes from Tamil Nadu.
Vijay, in his congratulatory message, placed emphasis on the wider impact of Singh’s performance, particularly its potential to encourage youngsters to take up competitive sport.
The Rs 50 lakh incentive recognises Singh’s Asian Games silver while marking another milestone in the Chennai player’s international career. His latest podium finish comes three years after his contribution to India’s historic men’s team gold at Hangzhou and further strengthens his record at the Asian Games.
