Why new world junior squash no. 1 Anahat Singh is a strong medal bet for 2028 Olympics
Singh sees that glory in her range. "I will be at the peak of my squash [then]," she told INDIA TODAY in an interview in 2024
It’s what Singh displayed last week when she finally fulfilled what many had expected her to long ago—become junior world champion in squash. She didn’t just become the first Indian to achieve the feat but also ended the domination of Egyptian girls, who had been winning the title since 2010.
Singh, 18, is also the youngest national champion in the history of the sport. In September, she will be participating in her second Asian Games where, needless to say, she will be a favourite to better the two bronze medals from the last Asiad edition.
Yet it’s in Los Angeles 2028, where squash makes its Olympics debut, that Indians will be hoping Singh stands tall on the podium. She sees that glory in her range. “I will be at the peak of my squash [then],” she had told INDIA TODAY in an interview in 2024. “Age-wise too, it will help me out.”
Always inclined towards sports, Singh started out with badminton when six years old, before adding squash to the mix after watching elder sister Amira play. “For a few years, I was juggling between squash and badminton,” she had said at the India Today Conclave. “Just travelling with her to a few tournaments and watching her in training sessions, I began to really enjoy squash.”
When it came to picking up one racquet sport professionally, Singh settled for squash. “It’s a classy game,” she said. “I play better when I am calm and more in control of what I am doing inside the court.”
Devoting life to sports has meant the teenager must routinely miss school—as well as hanging out with friends—to train and compete. She acknowledged being familiar with the Gen Z emotion of FOMO (fear of missing out). “If I am scrolling through Instagram and my friends’ stories, I always see they are going out for lunch or dinner or always together,” said Singh. “I do miss out on that and get very jealous.”
But Singh’s friends feel she’s having the best life. “I get to travel so much because of the tournaments. My friends say, ‘You are so lucky you get to travel the world’. So they are getting as much FOMO from me as well.”
Off court, Singh is fond of showcasing her creative side with painting. Her guilty pleasure includes savouring chocolate while resisting cravings for chips and cookies.
Singh’s slender physique makes one wonder where she gets the power and endurance from. But for her, what matters more is “the way you hit the ball”. Known as “Giggles” in the Indian squash contingent because of her tendency “to laugh a lot”, Singh says she was initially “scared to be around seniors”. “It was a bit intimidating. But after a few tournaments, we got close and had fun.”
Her journey in juniors done, Singh will be hoping to replicate the trajectory of Neeraj Chopra, who too was an under-20 world champion before going onto shine on the senior stage. Interestingly, Singh is backed by Chopra’s former supporters JSW Sports.
Already ranked world no. 20 in seniors, Singh seems ready for the challenge. Her routine will be the same. “Before my match, I take off my headphones only a minute before entering the court.” Tuned in, the Anahat show begins. Sport fans will be hoping it always ends with her on the winning side.
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It’s what Singh displayed last week when she finally fulfilled what many had expected her to long ago—become junior world champion in squash. She didn’t just become the first Indian to achieve the feat but also ended the domination of Egyptian girls, who had been winning the title since 2010.
Singh, 18, is also the youngest national champion in the history of the sport. In September, she will be participating in her second Asian Games where, needless to say, she will be a favourite to better the two bronze medals from the last Asiad edition.
Yet it’s in Los Angeles 2028, where squash makes its Olympics debut, that Indians will be hoping Singh stands tall on the podium. She sees that glory in her range. “I will be at the peak of my squash [then],” she had told INDIA TODAY in an interview in 2024. “Age-wise too, it will help me out.”
Always inclined towards sports, Singh started out with badminton when six years old, before adding squash to the mix after watching elder sister Amira play. “For a few years, I was juggling between squash and badminton,” she had said at the India Today Conclave. “Just travelling with her to a few tournaments and watching her in training sessions, I began to really enjoy squash.”
When it came to picking up one racquet sport professionally, Singh settled for squash. “It’s a classy game,” she said. “I play better when I am calm and more in control of what I am doing inside the court.”
Devoting life to sports has meant the teenager must routinely miss school—as well as hanging out with friends—to train and compete. She acknowledged being familiar with the Gen Z emotion of FOMO (fear of missing out). “If I am scrolling through Instagram and my friends’ stories, I always see they are going out for lunch or dinner or always together,” said Singh. “I do miss out on that and get very jealous.”
But Singh’s friends feel she’s having the best life. “I get to travel so much because of the tournaments. My friends say, ‘You are so lucky you get to travel the world’. So they are getting as much FOMO from me as well.”
Off court, Singh is fond of showcasing her creative side with painting. Her guilty pleasure includes savouring chocolate while resisting cravings for chips and cookies.
Singh’s slender physique makes one wonder where she gets the power and endurance from. But for her, what matters more is “the way you hit the ball”. Known as “Giggles” in the Indian squash contingent because of her tendency “to laugh a lot”, Singh says she was initially “scared to be around seniors”. “It was a bit intimidating. But after a few tournaments, we got close and had fun.”
Her journey in juniors done, Singh will be hoping to replicate the trajectory of Neeraj Chopra, who too was an under-20 world champion before going onto shine on the senior stage. Interestingly, Singh is backed by Chopra’s former supporters JSW Sports.
Already ranked world no. 20 in seniors, Singh seems ready for the challenge. Her routine will be the same. “Before my match, I take off my headphones only a minute before entering the court.” Tuned in, the Anahat show begins. Sport fans will be hoping it always ends with her on the winning side.
Subscribe to India Today Magazine
It’s what Singh displayed last week when she finally fulfilled what many had expected her to long ago—become junior world champion in squash. She didn’t just become the first Indian to achieve the feat but also ended the domination of Egyptian girls, who had been winning the title since 2010.
Singh, 18, is also the youngest national champion in the history of the sport. In September, she will be participating in her second Asian Games where, needless to say, she will be a favourite to better the two bronze medals from the last Asiad edition.
Yet it’s in Los Angeles 2028, where squash makes its Olympics debut, that Indians will be hoping Singh stands tall on the podium. She sees that glory in her range. “I will be at the peak of my squash [then],” she had told INDIA TODAY in an interview in 2024. “Age-wise too, it will help me out.”
Always inclined towards sports, Singh started out with badminton when six years old, before adding squash to the mix after watching elder sister Amira play. “For a few years, I was juggling between squash and badminton,” she had said at the India Today Conclave. “Just travelling with her to a few tournaments and watching her in training sessions, I began to really enjoy squash.”
When it came to picking up one racquet sport professionally, Singh settled for squash. “It’s a classy game,” she said. “I play better when I am calm and more in control of what I am doing inside the court.”
Devoting life to sports has meant the teenager must routinely miss school—as well as hanging out with friends—to train and compete. She acknowledged being familiar with the Gen Z emotion of FOMO (fear of missing out). “If I am scrolling through Instagram and my friends’ stories, I always see they are going out for lunch or dinner or always together,” said Singh. “I do miss out on that and get very jealous.”
But Singh’s friends feel she’s having the best life. “I get to travel so much because of the tournaments. My friends say, ‘You are so lucky you get to travel the world’. So they are getting as much FOMO from me as well.”
Off court, Singh is fond of showcasing her creative side with painting. Her guilty pleasure includes savouring chocolate while resisting cravings for chips and cookies.
Singh’s slender physique makes one wonder where she gets the power and endurance from. But for her, what matters more is “the way you hit the ball”. Known as “Giggles” in the Indian squash contingent because of her tendency “to laugh a lot”, Singh says she was initially “scared to be around seniors”. “It was a bit intimidating. But after a few tournaments, we got close and had fun.”
Her journey in juniors done, Singh will be hoping to replicate the trajectory of Neeraj Chopra, who too was an under-20 world champion before going onto shine on the senior stage. Interestingly, Singh is backed by Chopra’s former supporters JSW Sports.
Already ranked world no. 20 in seniors, Singh seems ready for the challenge. Her routine will be the same. “Before my match, I take off my headphones only a minute before entering the court.” Tuned in, the Anahat show begins. Sport fans will be hoping it always ends with her on the winning side.
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