Anahat Singh aiming for Olympics glory after historic World Squash Junior win

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Anahat Singh expressed overwhelming joy after capturing the junior world crown, describing the milestone as a lifelong ambition since taking up squash.

The top-seeded 18-year-old defeated Egypt’s second seed Ruqayya Salem 11-3, 11-7, 11-9 in the girls’ singles final at the World Squash Junior Championships 2026 on Saturday. Her victory etched her name in the record books as the first Indian to win the trophy, surpassing Joshna Chinappa’s 2005 runner-up finish and snapping Egypt’s dominance in the competition dating back to 2011.

“It feels great. It’s been my dream since I’ve started playing squash and it’s the biggest event a junior can play in squash and just getting a chance to be really close to winning this the last couple of years and actually winning it. It’s really great feeling and, I’m really happy I was able to do it,” she told ANI.

Anahat Singh talks about overcoming nerves and Olympics 2028 ambition

After dropping just two games across six dominant matches throughout the tournament, India’s No. 1 player revealed that her toughest mental battles came in the earlier rounds before finding complete composure in the final.

“I felt a little bit nervous in the quarters and the semis. The finals, like unexpectedly, I barely felt any pressure. It was more just ‘it’s my last match and I just need to go all out and enjoy it’ but the quarters and the semis I did, because it was a junior event that I played after almost six months so the pressure’s very different. But yeah I mean it took me two matches to, fully get over it but I’m glad that it happened at the right time and not in the finals,” she said.

Currently ranked world No. 20 on the senior PSA Tour, Anahat was delighted with squash being a part of the 2028 Olympics and hoped to go deep in the competition.

“I think firstly the fact that it’s in the Olympics is a huge deal and just getting a chance to even be a part of the Olympics for India would be amazing. And I think there’s a lot of athletes especially even in the boys and the girls who have a chance of making it to the LA ’28 and I think if we’re able to get a medal in the Asian Games and if we’re able to get a medal at the Olympics and be a part of it and be Olympians it would be a huge deal for India’s Indian squash and it will help squash grow a lot as a sport as well,” Anahat concluded.

(With inputs from ANI)

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