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Time of India
07-05-2025
- Sport
- Time of India
Anahat Singh up for squash world championship, but Olympic medal is ultimate goal
Anahat Singh of Team India plays a shot against Jada Ross of Team Saint Vincent and the Grenadines (Photo by) NEW DELHI: By the time the chill of Chicago's late spring curls into the glass walls of the squash courts at the University Club, the brightest young star of Indian squash will already be warming is something both graceful and unrelenting about Anahat Singh 's movements. On court, she is a blend of youthful audacity and a veteran's poise. As she prepares to make her mark on the biggest stage of her career — the World Squash Championship 2025 , Chicago — Anahat carries not just her racquet but the hopes of a nation as India's lone woman representative in the prestigious Delhi girl grew up in a family with strong sporting culture. Father Gursharan Singh, a lawyer, and mother Tani Vadehra, an interior designer, both played hockey in their Anahat's elder sister, was a top-ranked U-19 squash player before enrolling at Harvard University for her bachelor's degree. She continues to compete for the Harvard women's squash early brushes, though, were not with squash but badminton. Inspired first by PV Sindhu, she briefly flirted with shuttlecocks before the squash court stole her heart. The speed, the strategy, the raw physicality of it attracted her.'I started playing badminton when I was six years old. When I was eight, I started going to the Delhi Gymkhana Club and started playing squash with my sister. Eventually, I started doing a lot better in squash and enjoyed it a lot more as well,' Anahat told TOI .By 9, she had won her first national title. By 11, she was dominating the U-13 circuit, rising to No. 1 not just in India but also in Asia and came a crowning moment for Anahat. She captured the British Junior Open — a tournament considered the 'Wimbledon of junior squash' — in the U-11 category, stunning higher-ranked players with the cold precision of her drop as the grand stage of Chicago beckons, Anahat stands on the cusp of transitioning from prodigy to a professional powerhouse. For India, Anahat's solo representation in the women's draw is symbolic. It's the torch being passed to a new generation. 'I am just excited to play against the best in the world,' she said. 'That's what I've always wanted — to see how far I can push myself.'At present, Anahat is ranked world No. 60, and every match at the world championships is going to be challenging. And yet, one gets the sense that she relishes it. 'I don't really think about rankings,' she said. 'On court, it's just me, the ball, and the walls. That's all that matters.'Regardless of the outcome in Chicago, Anahat holds immense promise for the future. After squash was included as a medal sport at the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics, the 17-yearold has now firmly set her eyes on an Olympic medal.'Now that Olympics is in the picture for us squash players for the first time, I'm hopeful I can win a medal at the LA Games,' Anahat, who has two bronze medals (women's team event & mixed doubles) from the 2023 Hangzhou Asian Games , currently, has a full team around her with former pros Gregory Gaultier (of France) and Stephane Galifi (Italy) as full-time coaches. Saurav Ghosal, who has won CWG and Asian Games medals for India, is her mentor.
Hindustan Times
06-05-2025
- Sport
- Hindustan Times
Teenager Anahat ready for senior world squash debut
New Delhi: Anahat Singh is a busy girl. Between reading A Good Girl's Guide to Murder, writing her Class 11 exams, catching up with family and painting, the 17-year-old is also gearing up for her first senior World Squash Championships. Anahat Singh will feature in her first senior World Squash Championships that is set to be held on May 9-17 in Chicago. (Getty Images) The India No.1 and the only woman player in the four-member Chicago-bound squad is unfazed. After blazing her trail on the junior circuit — she has three British Junior Open titles across age-groups — Anahat has made an encouraging foray into the senior circuit. With nine PSA titles out of 10 appearances, Anahat knows how to win. The double bronze medallist at the 2023 Hangzhou Asian Games is going into the May 9-17 event having won her third British Junior Open. She then had an unblemished run at the 2025 Asian Junior Team Championships which helped India claim the bronze medal. The Delhi-born player then won the SRFI Indian Tour and the Indian Open events to break into the top 70 in the PSA rankings. 'I've been in good form over the past 2-3 competitions, the body is feeling good, the belief is there. Even during practice, I'm confident with the way I'm playing. I think it's the best I've played in the last few years,' she said. The senior worlds though 'feels different'. 'I've grown up watching this tournament. It is one event where the world's best turn up, and it's something I've always wanted to compete in,' she said. 'This year, I'm not really going there to win or anything. I'm just trying to go and play my best and do as well as I possibly can.' That means, by her own admission, getting past the second round. The world No.62 will open her campaign against Marina Stefanoni of US, ranked 28. Should she win, she'll meet either world No.15 Fayrouz Aboelkheir or world No.34 Hana Moataz, both from Egypt. The rankings gap notwithstanding, Anahat believes she can beat them. 'In my first two rounds, I'll meet opponents who I have seen a lot and I've played with them as well. And they're not in the top 10. There's always a chance to win and if I'm playing well, they'll be under pressure because they're ranked higher and more experienced.' She would know, considering the tables turn when she plays the juniors. 'There, I am expected to win every time, which puts a bit of pressure; I know there would be little challenge till the semis. But in seniors, even the opening rounds are very tough.' With squash making its debut at the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics, Anahat is keen to grow in the game. Having the seasoned Saurav Ghosal as a mentor helps. The 38-year-old primarily helps Anahat manage and structure her calendar. 'I am not picking the tournaments blindly,' she said. 'We plan when and where I need to play, how much to exert, and so forth. Since LA is in the picture, it was more important for me to play the senior tournaments a bit more. While the qualification criterion is still not known, I want to climb the rankings as much as I can to put myself in the reckoning.'
Express Tribune
28-04-2025
- Sport
- Express Tribune
Sohail wins Morgan Reach Jr Squash
Young Sohail Adnan receives his trophy from DG Sports Punjab Khizar Afzaal Chaudhry after winning the U-15 title. PHOTO: APP Pakistan's rising squash star, Sohail Adnan, has added another prestigious title to his growing list of achievements by winning the Morgan Reach Junior Squash Championship 2025. In a display of exceptional skill and determination, Sohail triumphed in the Boys U-15 final by defeating Muhammad Bin Aatif in straight sets, with a commanding score of 11-4, 11-5, 11-5. This victory adds to Sohail's impressive streak of international successes, including his titles at the British Junior Open 2025, the Scottish Junior Open 2024, and the Asian Junior U13 Championship 2024. His consistent performance across major tournaments continues to highlight his talent, discipline, and passion for the sport. In the U-13 final, Raheel from Sindh showcased remarkable skill and determination, defeating Ayaan Mehboob of PAF by 3-1 to clinch the title while in the U-17 final, Obaidullah from KP overpowered M Ali of PAF with a comprehensive 3-0 win. The BARD Foundation, which proudly supports Sohail's journey, expressed great pride in his latest accomplishment. Mahreen Dawood shared her delight: "Sohail Adnan's remarkable victory at the Morgan Reach Junior Squash Championship once again demonstrates the power of hard work and perseverance. We are incredibly proud to be part of his journey and look forward to seeing him continue to make Pakistan proud." Abdul Razak Dawood also applauded Sohail's performance: "Sohail Adnan's victory at the Morgan Reach Junior Squash Championship is a moment of immense pride for all of us.
