PETALING JAYA: Can Malaysia make it their best-ever Asian Games by striking gold for a record 10th time in Japan?
It is within reach if the Speedy Tigers can overcome India in the men’s hockey final on Saturday (Oct 3) and seal their ticket to the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics.
There could also be a surprise from padel, with the men's pair of Christian Didier Chin-Aidan Yunus reaching the final.
Malaysia have never won more than nine gold medals at an Asian Games, with their best haul coming at the 2010 Guangzhou edition.
On Friday (Oct 2), Malaysia enjoyed a golden rush by winning three titles in a single day to take their tally to nine.
Malaysia had already achieved their six-gold target, but the women’s squash team of Aira Azman, S. Sivasangari, Aifa Azman and Rachel Arnold kept the momentum going by defending their team title with a 2-1 win over Hong Kong in the final.
The winning points came through the Azman sisters after singles champion and Los Angeles Olympics-bound Sivasangari dropped the second match.
Hours later, veteran track cyclist Azizulhasni Awang made the country proud by winning the men’s keirin to deliver the eighth gold.
It was Azizulhasni’s third Asian Games gold, with his latest triumph coming 16 years after he won his first.
Soon after, the men’s squash team, led by reigning singles champion Ng Eain Yow, defeated Pakistan 2-0 to regain the title they last won at the 2018 edition and deliver Malaysia’s ninth gold.
Four of Malaysia’s nine gold medals have come from squash, with the others delivered by karate (two), e-sports, sepak takraw and cycling.
2026 Aichi-Nagoya (nine golds)
Cycling: Azizulhasni Awang (men's keirin)
E-sports: Taj Izrin Aiman Taj Madira (Gran Turismo 7)
Karate: Adeola Fay Robert (women's 55kg kumite), C. Shahmalarani (women's 50kg kumite)
Sepak takraw: Zulkifli Abd Razak, Aidil Aiman Zawawi, Afifudin Razali, Syahir Rosdi, Farhan Adam, Mohd Azlan Alias, Zarif Marican Ibrahim, Amirul Zazwan Amir, Hafizul Hayazi Adnan, Haziq Hairul Nizam, Zuleffendi Sumari, Shahalril Aiman Halim, Noraizat Nordin (men's team regu)
Squash: Ng Eain Yow (men's singles), S. Sivasangari (women's singles), Ng Eain Yow, Sanjay Jeeva, C. Ameeshenraj, Syafiq Kamal (men's team), S. Sivasangari, Aifa Azman, Aira Azman, Rachel Arnold (women's team)
2010 Guangzhou (nine golds)
Bowling: Alex Liew (men's singles), Alex Liew, Adrian Ang (men's doubles)
Cycling: Azizulhasni Awang (men's keirin)
Karate: Ku Jin Keat (men's individual kata), R. Puvaneswaran (men's under-55kg)
Squash: Mohd Azlan Iskandar (men's singles), Nicol David (women's singles), Delia Arnold, Nicol David, Low Wee Wern, Sharon Wee (women's team)
Wushu: Chai Fong Ying (women's taijijian and taijiquan)
