DELHI, INDIA: Indian squash player Anahat Singh made history last month when she won the girls’ singles title at the World Junior Championships in Niagara-on-the-Lake, Canada. By doing so, she also became the first Indian to win this laurel. Singh’s achievement appears brighter when it is noted that she was the first non-Egyptian to win this title in 16 years.
While breaking the hegemony of a nation that loves its squash next only to its Pyramids may not have been foremost on Anahat Singh’s mind, the fact that she managed to breach this near-invisible barrier speaks a lot about her tenacity and resilience. Singh, merely 18 years old, has already won two Asian Games medals (bronze) and a World Cup gold for the country.
What makes this victory in Canada especially sweet for Singh is that this is her first singles gold medal. The brace in the Asian Games came in mixed doubles and team events while the gold in the 2025 World Cup, held in Chennai, came in the mixed team category. She has won gold medals only in the Asian Junior Championships in the past (2022, 2023 and 2025).
Anahat Singh had lost in the semifinals of the 2025 event
Most importantly, in the 2025 World Junior Championships, held in Cairo, Anahat Singh came home with a bronze medal. That semifinal loss must have acted as a motivator for the Delhi girl as she blew past Egypt’s Ruqayya Salem 3-0 (11-3, 11-7, 11-9) in the 2026 final. Singh was the most dominant player in this tournament, having not dropped more than two games on her way to the title.
“It means the world. I still feel like I’m dreaming; I’ve been losing in the semis and quarters over the last four years. I’ve always said, if anyone’s asked, ‘This tournament’s a curse,’ and I’ve never been able to play well in the event,” Singh said after her victory.
Being mentored by the iconic Saurav Ghosal means that Anahat Singh is in the right hands. She is a prodigy who can continue winning laurels for India if she retains her composure and makes no changes to her work ethic. Singh’s determination to overcome setbacks sets her apart from her competitors, and with squash becoming a part of the Olympics from 2028, she can also be a medal contender for India.
It’s been several years since India has seen a teen genius in squash, with Joshna Chinappa having last stoked the fires of the country’s collective consciousness in 2005 by winning silver in the World Junior Championships. Anahat Singh has the potential to earn pride of place alongside Chinappa and Dipika Pallikal for keeping women’s squash alive and kicking in the country.
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