CM Vijay rewards Abhay Singh with Rs 50 lakh after Asian Games squash silver

Tamil Nadu Chief Minister C Joseph Vijay congratulated squash player Abhay Singh after he won the silver medal in the men’s singles event at the 2026 Asian Games in Aichi-Nagoya, Japan. Vijay also announced a cash incentive of Rs 50 lakh for the Indian squash player in recognition of his achievement.

Abhay, who had already secured a medal by reaching the final, faced Malaysia’s defending champion Ng Eain Yow in the gold-medal match on Sunday. The Indian, seeded second, went down 9-11, 5-11, 5-11 to settle for silver. With his run to the final, Abhay also became only the second Indian man after Saurav Ghosal to win a singles silver at the Asian Games.

“I extend my heartfelt congratulations and best wishes to squash player Abhay Singh, who has brought pride to Tamil Nadu and India by winning the silver medal in the men's singles squash event at the 20th Asian Games currently taking place in Japan,” CM Vijay wrote.

“In recognition of his outstanding achievement, the Government of Tamil Nadu will provide a cash incentive of Rs. 50 lakhs.”

“This victory of squash player Abhay Singh will serve as new inspiration for the young sportspersons and athletes of Tamil Nadu. I wish him continued success in securing many more victories in the future, bringing further glory to Tamil Nadu and India,” Vijay said.

WHO ELSE HAS CM VIJAY REWARDED AT ASIAN GAMES 2026?

Abhay is the latest Tamil Nadu athlete to receive a cash incentive from the state government during the ongoing Asian Games. Vijay had earlier announced Rs 75 lakh for young cricketer G Kamalini after she was part of India’s women’s T20 team that won the gold medal in Japan.

India defeated Sri Lanka by 147 runs in the final, with Smriti Mandhana scoring 79 off 45 balls, while Richa Ghosh smashed an unbeaten 49 off 22 balls. Kamalini, a wicketkeeper-batter from Madurai, was part of the gold-winning squad.

Vijay subsequently announced Rs 50 lakh each for athletes Vithya Ramraj and Vishal T K after they won silver in the mixed 4x400m relay. The Indian quartet clocked 3:14.46, finishing behind Bahrain, which set a Games record of 3:12.87.

The Chief Minister also announced Rs 30 lakh each for squash players Joshna Chinappa and Velavan Senthilkumar after they won bronze in mixed doubles. Their medal added to India’s squash haul at the Games.

With Abhay’s Rs 50 lakh reward, Vijay has now announced incentives for athletes across cricket, athletics and squash during the Aichi-Nagoya Games. The rewards underline the Tamil Nadu government’s continued recognition of athletes from the state who have contributed to India’s medal-winning campaigns.