Confident teen squash star Anahat ready for the biggest stage

BIRMINGHAM: India’s teenage squash sensation Anahat Singh is raring to go at some of the top players at the Commonwealth Games, hoping to test her reputation as a world-beating junior on squash’s biggest stage.

The 14-year-old is the youngest member of the Indian contingent and the only Indian girl to win a US junior open title and has also collected the British, German and Dutch junior open and Asian championship trophies. Added to her success on the Indian junior circuit, she has won more than 50 titles.

“In one match I was two games down but won in a five-setter,” Anahat told the Birmingham Commonwealth Games organising committee in an interaction.

“Since then I have improved quite a bit, so the gap between me and the other girls is pretty big. “When I won the British and US Open it was really exciting for a few days, but I felt like I needed to enjoy it then leave it behind, otherwise I wouldn’t be able to focus on getting better for my next tournaments,” Anahat added.

Anahat is the youngest squash player at Birmingham 2022 and opens her campaign againstJada Ross of the Saint Vincent and the Grenadines on the opening day of the squash competition on Friday (July 29).

It is a measure of her talent that she and is already talking confidently about taking on the higher-seeded Emily Whitlock of Wales in the second round. Anahat started out playing badminton but gravitated towards squash due to the influence of her older sister Amira, who is now a student at Harvard University.

“I was first drawn to it because I loved the noise of the ball hitting the wall,” she said. “I love exploring different sports but it is squash I love more than any other. I am pretty fast around the court and I don’t give up, even if the score is against me.

“In a few years I want to go to an Ivy League college to train and then start playing on the PSA World Tour. My ultimate ambition is to win the Commonwealth Games and the world title.”

“These Games will be massive for her,” India national coach Cyrus Poncha said.

“She has raw talent and is very easy to work with. Her greatest strength is her speed and she hits the ball straight unlike many other juniors.

“To come here to Birmingham and spend time with older squad members such as Saurav Ghosal and Joshna Chinappa will be a great learning experience. She is coming here to absorb and learn, so as far I’m concerned there is no pressure on her,” said the national coach.