World champion Anahat Singh gives India new hope for Olympic squash glory | More Sports News

New Delhi: For five years, the World Junior Squash Championship has remained a mountain cut by Anahat Singh. Heartbreaks in the quarterfinals and semifinals have become familiar scripts. But in her last appearance as a junior at the Niagara-on-the-Lake (Canada) event on Saturday, the fearless Delhi girl finally re-wrote the final, becoming the first Indian to be crowned world junior champion.More than just a historic title, it is a statement from the country’s brightest squash talent as India can now start dreaming of a medal at the Los Angeles Olympics in 2028, where the sport will make its Olympic debut.The 18-year-old top seed in the junior worlds and world No. 20 in the senior PSA Tour, ended Egypt’s 13-time stranglehold on the girls’ title with a commanding 11-3, 11-7, 11-9 victory over second seed Ruqayya Salem in the final. Anahat also became the first non-Egyptian champion since Amanda Sobhy in 2010, while also ahead of Joshna Chinappa’s runner-up finish in 2005 to record India’s best result in the event.His path to the title was an easy one. After cruising through the early rounds, Anahat had to overcome three Egyptians in a row – Habiba Rizk in the quarters, Barb Sameh in the semis and Salem in the title clash. Beating the Egyptians three times in a row underlined how big the Delhi boy is.The end shows his maturity. He raced through the first two games before Salem threatened to come back by taking an 8-6 lead in the third. Undeterred, Anahat trusted his attacking instincts, fought point by point and finished the match in straight games.“It’s like I’m still dreaming,” said Anahat after the victory. “This tournament has almost been a curse for me. I’ve lost in the semis and quarters the last four years. This is my last year as a junior and my only chance to win it. It means the world.”That sense of relief was obvious. If he had missed out this year, there would have been no second chance. He has now moved full-time to the senior circuit as a world top-20 player who carries the confidence of a junior world champion. “I know that if I’m stressed, I can’t play well. I just focus on hitting my lines and enjoying every moment of playing in a world championship final.”Coached by former world champion Gregory Gaultier, Anahat has become one of the most exciting players on the circuit.Reflecting on her progress, Anahat says consistency has been the biggest change. “Earlier, I could raise my level for a big match but it was difficult to maintain that intensity throughout the tournament. Now I have learned how to back up a difficult match with another. Training harder, understanding the flow of the game and becoming more consistent made all the difference,” he said.