Malaysia’s Ng Eain Yow dedicates Asian Games squash gold to mother fighting leukaemia

NAGOYA, Sept 27 — Ng Eain Yow has dedicated the men’s singles squash gold medal he won at the 2026 Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games today to his mother, who is battling leukaemia.

Eain Yow, 28, said his mother Low Soo Goon’s battle with leukaemia over the past two years had been one of his sources of strength to continue giving his best every time he stepped onto the court.

He said his mother’s health condition made his success at the Asiad this time all the more meaningful, especially after he managed to retain the gold medal he won at the 2022 edition in Hangzhou, China.

“I feel that this victory is very meaningful to me. My mother has been battling leukaemia for about two years and I want to dedicate this victory to her,” he told reporters.

Eain Yow described today’s victory as carrying another deep personal meaning for him, saying the gold medal, which confirmed his qualification for the 2028 Los Angeles Olympic Games (LA28), was not only for himself but also a tribute to the generations of players who paved the way for the current crop.

“This isn’t just for myself. It is for all the efforts my seniors who have put in over the years. They paved the way for us to reach this level.

“When I was young and aspired to be a squash player, I looked up to all my seniors and their achievements. So, I want to repay them in my own way,” he said.

With the Olympic ticket secured, Eain Yow, however, does not want to regard qualification as the pinnacle of his ambition, instead he’s hoping to use the time left for LA28, which is less than two years away, to purshe an even bigger dream.

“My main objective is to become the world’s best player.

“Of course, winning this tournament and clinching the (Olympic) ticket now is a good thing, but I also believe that within the next two years, I will be ready to become the best player in the world. That is the target I am aiming for,” he said.

Earlier, Eain Yow became the first Malaysian athlete to secure an early ticket to LA28 after defeating India’s Abhay Singh 11-9, 11-5, 11-5 in the Asiad 2026 men’s singles squash final at the Nagoya Kinjofuto Arena today.

National squash queen S. Sivasangari, meanwhile, became the second Malaysian athlete to confirm her LA28 berth after winning the Asiad 2026 women’s singles gold medal, defeating India’s Anahat Singh 11-4, 11-4, 11-7. — Bernama