Dipika-Harinder bag Asian squash gold

Chennai: India’s mixed doubles pair of Dipika Pallikal and Harinder Pal Singh Sandhu blew away second-seeded Malaysian duo Ivan Yuen and Rachel Arnold 2-0 (11-10 & 11-8) to clinch the gold medal in the Asian Mixed Doubles Squash Championships in Hangzhou on Thursday. Youngsters Anahat Singh and Abhay Singh went down fighting to Rachel and Ivan in the semifinal and settled for the bronze medal.The third-seeded Indian pair displayed remarkable skills and determination in the finals and dominated their rivals throughout the match and never left any chance for the Malaysians to fight back. They took just 26 minutes for Dipika-Harinder pair to wrap up the proceedings, showcasing exceptional teamwork to secure the coveted gold medal. Dipika was making her comeback after a year’s break and was last seen representing India at the Commonwealth Games in Birmingham last year. India’s success in the prestigious in the Asian Squash Mixed Doubles tournament has come a huge boost before the Asian Games, to be held in Hangzhou in September-October this year.