Malaysian Squash Pair Aims for Gold After Silver at Asian Games

Malaysian squash duo Aifa Azman and Mohd Syafiq Kamal are determined to upgrade their silver medal from the Hangzhou 2022 Asian Games to gold at the 2026 Aichi-Nagoya edition. The pair settled for silver after a final loss to India in the previous games. They are now focused on improving their performance, even though they have rarely competed together this year. Aifa mentioned that a lack of competitive tournaments together is not a barrier, as their established communication and understanding provide an advantage. "Of course we have a target. From silver, we definitely want to hunt for gold," Aifa stated. "However, there is no pressure on both of us even though we missed two doubles tournaments." She explained that one tournament in June was missed due to her injury, and another in Japan was canceled, preventing them from playing together this year. Despite the limited time as a pair, Aifa believes their preparation for the Aichi-Nagoya Games is progressing smoothly. "So far, thank God, in training, perhaps because we have been together for a long time, our communication has no problems," she said. "So it is easy for us to adapt during training. So far, preparations are going smoothly, and we hope that in the next three weeks we can further improve our performance and do better at the Asian Games." At the Hangzhou 2022 Asian Games, the national squash team secured three gold medals in men's and women's singles and women's team events, along with one silver in mixed doubles and one bronze in men's team.

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Of course we have a target. From silver, we definitely want to hunt for gold. However, there is no pressure on both of us even though we missed two doubles tournaments.