Kishan Reddy hails Joshna & Velavan's bronze at Asian Games 2026
Synopsis
Union Minister G. Kishan Reddy praised Joshna Chinappa and Velavan Senthilkumar after they won the Mixed Doubles Squash bronze at the 2026 Asian Games in Aichi-Nagoya, Japan, calling on the pair to keep inspiring young Indians.
Key Takeaways
Joshna Chinappa and Velavan Senthilkumar won the Mixed Doubles Squash bronze medal at the Asian Games 2026 .
The event is hosted by Aichi-Nagoya, Japan as part of the quadrennial Asian Games competition.
Kishan Reddy publicly congratulated the pair on 26 September 2026 via X.
Joshna Chinappa is a long-standing Indian squash veteran with a history of Asian Games and Commonwealth Games appearances.
Velavan Senthilkumar is known for his doubles and team-format performances at the regional and Asian level.
The congratulatory post forms part of a wider government pattern of recognising athletes in niche disciplines to encourage youth participation in sports.
A squash court in Aichi-Nagoya, Japan delivered another proud moment for India on Saturday, 26 September 2026, as the Mixed Doubles pair of Joshna Chinappa and Velavan Senthilkumar clinched the bronze medal at the Asian Games 2026 — drawing swift recognition from Union Coal and Mines Minister G. Kishan Reddy.
Kishan Reddy took to X to congratulate the pair, writing: 'Congratulations to Joshna Chinappa and Velavan Senthilkumar on securing the bronze medal in the Mixed Doubles Squash event at the #AsianGames2026. May Joshna and Velavan continue to reach greater heights and inspire many more young Indians in the years ahead.' The message carried the familiar #Cheer4Bharat — the government's rallying hashtag for Indian athletes on the continental stage.
Joshna Chinappa's long road to another Asian Games podium
Joshna Chinappa is one of Indian squash's most enduring names, a veteran of multiple Asian Games and Commonwealth Games cycles who has consistently been the country's frontline female player. Her presence at the 2026 edition in Japan underlines a career that has stretched across the better part of two decades at the top of the regional game. Alongside her, Velavan Senthilkumar has built a reputation in doubles and team formats, making the Mixed Doubles partnership a blend of experience and versatile court craft.
A bronze in Mixed Doubles Squash is no footnote. The event demands chemistry, reflexes, and split-second positioning — qualities honed across years of competitive play rather than assembled overnight. This medal adds to India's growing squash footprint at the Asian Games, a discipline where the country has punched above its weight relative to powerhouses like Egypt and Malaysia on the global stage.
Official applause and the bigger sports-development signal
Indian ministers routinely amplify athlete achievements through social media, and the practice carries a real function beyond ceremony. Public recognition from a Union Minister feeds into a broader government narrative around sports development, signalling to young aspirants that success in niche disciplines — not just cricket — earns national attention. Squash, with its relatively small but passionate following in India, benefits particularly from this kind of spotlight.
Kishan Reddy's hope that the duo will 'inspire many more young Indians' echoes a consistent theme: medals at the Asian Games are marketed as proof-of-concept for grassroots sporting ambition, not just personal triumphs.
Bronze in hand, the question now is whether India's squash pipeline — currently leaning heavily on a handful of established names — can produce the next Joshna or Velavan before the next quadrennial cycle arrives.
Point of View
But the cumulative pattern matters: sustained official visibility for non-cricket sports like squash signals a deliberate push to broaden India's sporting identity. Joshna Chinappa's continued presence at the top of the regional game also raises a pointed policy question — India's women's squash strength rests on very few shoulders, and the pipeline to replace veterans like her remains thin. The Aichi-Nagoya bronze is a genuine achievement; converting it into structural depth for the sport is the harder, longer task ahead.
NationPress
26 Sept 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
Who are Joshna Chinappa and Velavan Senthilkumar?
Joshna Chinappa is one of India's most decorated squash players, a veteran of multiple Asian Games and Commonwealth Games. Velavan Senthilkumar is an Indian squash player known for doubles and team-format competition at the regional and Asian level.
What medal did India win in Mixed Doubles Squash at the Asian Games 2026?
India won the bronze medal in the Mixed Doubles Squash event at the Asian Games 2026, secured by Joshna Chinappa and Velavan Senthilkumar.
Where are the Asian Games 2026 being held?
The Asian Games 2026 are hosted by Aichi-Nagoya in Japan, continuing the quadrennial multi-sport competition across the continent.
Why did G. Kishan Reddy congratulate Indian squash players?
As Union Coal and Mines Minister and a senior BJP leader, Kishan Reddy issued the congratulations as part of the government's consistent practice of publicly recognising Indian athletes who win medals at major international multi-sport events.
What is #Cheer4Bharat?
#Cheer4Bharat is a social media hashtag used by Indian government officials, ministers, and supporters to rally behind Indian athletes competing at international sporting events like the Asian Games and Commonwealth Games.
