Chennai: Tamil Nadu Chief Minister C. Joseph Vijay on Sunday announced a cash incentive of Rs 50 lakh for squash player Abhay Singh after he won the silver medal in the men’s singles event at the 20th Asian Games in Japan.
Congratulating Abhay Singh on his achievement, CM Vijay said the performance had brought pride to Tamil Nadu and India. He said the state government would honour the athlete with the cash incentive and expressed hope that Singh’s success would inspire young sportspersons in Tamil Nadu, particularly women aspiring to compete at the highest level.
The silver medal adds another Asian Games singles medal to Abhay Singh’s record. The Chennai-based player was also part of the Indian men’s squash team that won gold at the Hangzhou Asian Games. In the decisive final match against Pakistan, Singh defeated Noor Zaman to help India secure the gold. He also won a bronze medal in mixed doubles with Anahat Singh at the same Games.
Since then, Abhay Singh has established himself as an important player in Indian squash. Earlier this year, he won the men’s title at the Indian Open, defeating fellow Indian Veer Chotrani in straight games.
His latest Asian Games silver is separate from the medals he had previously won in the team and mixed-doubles events. The latest achievement further adds to his record at the continental Games.
The Tamil Nadu government has been announcing cash incentives for the state’s medal-winning athletes at the 2026 Asian Games. The state had earlier announced Rs 50 lakh each for mixed 4x400m relay silver medallists Vithya Ramraj and Vishal T.K., while squash mixed-doubles bronze medallists Joshna Chinappa and Velavan Senthilkumar were announced a reward of Rs 30 lakh each.
In his message, CM Vijay emphasised that Abhay Singh’s achievement was significant beyond the medal itself. He said the success could give emerging athletes confidence to pursue excellence in sport and expressed the hope that Singh would continue to bring laurels to India and Tamil Nadu.
The announcement comes during Vijay’s first year as Tamil Nadu Chief Minister. The political details in the supplied copy about the 2026 Assembly election are not included here because the available current reports on the reward focus on Singh’s sporting achievement and the government’s incentive announcement.
