Dipika Pallikal-Harinder Sandhu Clinch Asian Squash Mixed Doubles Title

Indian mixed doubles pair Squash pair of Dipika Pallikal and Harinder Sandhu clinched gold medal at the Asian Squash Mixed Doubles Championships on Friday.

Pallikal and Harinder overpowered the Malaysian pair of Rachel Arnold and Ivan Yuen at the Hangzhou Olympic Sports Centre 2-0 (11-10, 11-8) in 26 minutes. The tournament featured 21 teams from 10 national federations and was part of the Test event ahead of the Asian Games which will be held from September 23 to October 8 in China and will also feature mixed doubles squash for the first time ever, as per World Squash.

The seasoned Indian pair kept their composure in a difficult first game as the scores were tied 10-10 and then scored the winning point. Arnold and Yuen from Malaysia fought valiantly in the second game and took a 6-5 lead. However, Pallikal Karthik and Sandhu withstood the pressure. Sandhu wrapped up the match with a lovely forehand into the corner to win the game 11-8.

The tournament was held from June 27 to June 30.

The Indian pair of Anahat Singh and Abhay Singh got the bronze medal. They went down to Arnold and Yuen in the semifinal.