Sivasangari eyes Olympic gold, world No 1 rank

The world No 5 said her victory over India’s Anahat Singh in today’s final was especially meaningful as the achievement also secured her a ticket to the Los Angeles 2028 Olympic Games.

“By winning this, I get the ticket to the Olympics, which is something really big. It has already become a dream come true, but I want to work harder.

“Of course, there are many more tournaments to come. This is just the beginning of the season and I want to perform well on the Professional Squash Association Tour and try to improve my ranking to be among the top three in the world by the end of the season.

“I hope I can do it and eventually become the world number one player and win Olympic gold,” she said after the final.

The victory saw Sivasangari retain the title she won in Hangzhou in 2022, after she claimed silver at her Asian Games debut at Jakarta-Palembang 2018.

She acknowledged that the pressure was greater this time round as the top seed but was satisfied with how she managed her emotions and maintained her focus throughout the tournament.

“This Asian Games was slightly different because I came as the top seed. So, there was a little pressure, but I am happy with the way I controlled my emotions and the way I played throughout this week,” she said.

Sivasangari also said retaining the gold was important in demonstrating her ability to compete among Asia’s leading squash players.