The Asian Games 2026 have highlighted the success of several athletes with Indian family backgrounds who have made their mark while representing Malaysia and Singapore.
Among them are Malaysian squash star Sivasangari Subramaniam, Malaysian badminton player Thinaah Muralitharan and Singaporean sprinter Shanti Pereira. Their performances in Aichi-Nagoya have brought attention to their sporting careers as well as their connections to Indian heritage.
Sivasangari Continues Malaysia’s Squash Legacy
Sivasangari Subramaniam successfully defended her Asian Games women’s singles squash title, defeating India’s Anahat Singh in straight games in the final.
The Malaysian, who is ranked among the world’s leading squash players, has developed through Malaysia’s competitive squash system. Her victory also earned her a place at the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics, where squash will make its Olympic debut.
Sivasangari grew up in Sungai Petani in Malaysia and comes from a Tamil family. Her sporting journey has made her one of the prominent successors to Malaysia’s long tradition of excellence in squash.
Shanti Pereira Wins 200m Gold for Singapore
Singapore’s Shanti Pereira also produced a standout performance, successfully defending her Asian Games women’s 200m title.
She clocked 22.78 seconds to take gold, with China’s Chen Yujie finishing second and India’s Harita Bhadra winning bronze.
Pereira’s family has roots in India. Her father moved to Singapore from Thiruvananthapuram, while her mother’s family comes from Amritsar. She has become one of Singapore’s leading track-and-field athletes and previously helped end the country’s long wait for an Asian Games athletics medal.
Thinaah Muralitharan Reaches the Badminton Medal Stage
Malaysia’s Thinaah Muralitharan has also played an important role in the country’s badminton campaign.
Partnering Pearly Tan, Thinaah defeated India’s Treesa Jolly and Gayatri Gopichand to secure a place in the semifinals, guaranteeing Malaysia a medal in the women’s doubles competition.
Thinaah grew up in Selangor and comes from a family with Indian roots. Her parents are a doctor and an engineer, while badminton became the sport through which she established her own career.
More Than a Heritage Story
The three athletes have different sporting journeys, but their performances share a common thread: they were raised within the sporting systems of Malaysia and Singapore and compete internationally for those countries.
Their success at the Asian Games demonstrates how athletes from diverse family backgrounds can become major representatives of the countries where they were raised and developed.
As the Aichi-Nagoya Games continue, Sivasangari, Pereira and Thinaah have added another layer to an Asian Games edition already featuring strong performances across several sports.