A rising Indian squash star Anahat Singh has rejected such notions as that Egyptian competitors have a psychological edge over her as she grew up playing with them and she treats them like any other opponent on the court. The 17-year-old achieved an eye-opening achievement in the World Junior Squash Championships in Ontario, Canada. With a win over Egypt’s Amina Orfi in a nail-biting final, Anahat ended India’s long-standing drought at the world junior singles level.
As she enjoyed her triumphant weekend back home in India, Anahat said that her relationship with Egyptian players goes back to her early days in the sport. Being on the court against them does not change her attitude, she said, explaining that nationality is secondary once the match begins and the competition is treated equally.
The championship victory was very meaningful for the young athlete, having missed so many close calls in the tournament over the past four years. She was overwhelmed with joy at finally getting the gold after coming so close to it in the past, and she expressed pride in emulating her idol, Joshna Chinappa, who she grew up learning from.
Transitioning to Senior Circuits and Looking for the Asian Games. Now that she has graduated from the junior level of competition, Anahat's eyes are on a career in senior-level international competitions. She said her coaching team would help her plan out a competitive schedule based on experience gained on the field and global travel on the basis of the top senior players of the world.
They have two PSA events coming up before the big multi-sport event, and Anahat has already started preparing for the Asian Games. She said that the Asian Games have always been her top priority since the last edition and that the next part of her sport is a challenge and a new adventure.
Historic success for the Indian boys’ team. In addition to the historic victory of Anahat as an individual, Indian squash also became more successful on the international stage as the boys’ team was outstanding in Ontario. Aryaveer Dewan, Gurveer Singh, Dev Sharma, and Yuvraj Wadhwani won a second consecutive bronze medal at the World Junior Squash Team Championships after narrowly losing 0-2 to the U.S. in the semifinal.
This is the first time an Indian team has won back-to-back medals at the world junior team event and is a great example of the depth and strength of India's junior squash program. Aryaveer Dewan told the team on their return home it was a great feeling to win a world junior medal and his team will work hard for the future. Gurveer Singh expressed how the individual and team progress they have experienced in the tournament has their eyes trained on gold or silver medals in the future.
