Anika Dubey wins silver medal at Asian Junior Squash Championships
Pune, May 26
The 16-year-old Anika Dubey of Maharashtra clinched the silver medal at the Asian Junior Squash Championships in China on Tuesday and finished as the runner-up among the best junior players from across the continent.
Already regarded as the "Golden Girl of Pune," Anika had won an Asian medal at just 14. Two years on, she has established herself firmly among Asia's elite junior athletes, according to a press release.
Anika's rise is part of a larger athlete-development movement built through the Chance2Sports Foundation Program powered by SportsSkill.
The championships also saw Vasundhara Nangare and Akanksha Gupta, two more athletes from the same program, represent India, making it three players from one development ecosystem competing at Asia's premier junior squash event.
The ecosystem has been built by SportsSkill co-founders Abhinav Sinha and Chetan Desai, combining elite sport experience with long-term development principles focused on recovery, conditioning, movement quality, injury prevention and mental resilience.
"When you work with champions closely over many years, you realise recovery, movement quality, conditioning and discipline matter as much as hours on court. Anika embodies this. Her silver is not just a personal achievement -- it is a statement about what structured, holistic development can produce," said Abhinav Sinha, Multiple-Time National Champion & Co-Founder, SportsSkill.
"I have been in sport for nearly 55 years, and I can say with conviction that what we are seeing from this generation of athletes is genuinely special. Anika's silver is the result of years of quiet, consistent work -- on court, off court and in the mind. That is the only way champions are truly built," said Chetan Desai, Veteran Tennis Champion & Co-Founder, SportsSkill.
A special acknowledgement goes to the Kanga Kids Program, created in memory of the late Noshir Kanga by his wife, Deborah Kanga, which has supported all three girls through their formative years over the last 3-4 years.
Noshir was a passionate squash enthusiast who played regularly at CCI alongside Naval Pandole, today one of the chief mentors and strongest supporters of the Chance2Sports initiative. Their backing has been instrumental in providing these athletes with access to coaching, tournament exposure, and long-term development support.
— ANI
Reader Comments
This is what happens when you combine talent with proper development programs. Three players from one ecosystem at Asian level is no coincidence. India needs more such structured programs for all sports, not just cricket. Also, a big thank you to the Kanga family for supporting these girls through the years.
Silver at a continental level at 16 is brilliant. But I hope the focus doesn't just stay on the medal count. The quote about "recovery, movement quality, conditioning" is spot on — too often young athletes in India burn out because we only care about court time and results. This holistic approach is exactly what we need.
Love seeing Indian girls dominating in Asian squash! 🇮🇳 Anika, Vasundhara and Akanksha are paving the way for the next generation. The mention of recovery and mental resilience is so important — that's where our system usually fails. Kudos to Abhinav Sinha and Chetan Desai for thinking long-term.
Impressive achievement! But I feel sad that outside cricket, Indian sports still depend so much on private initiatives and family foundations rather than government support. The fact that three top junior players come from one private program is great, but also highlights gaps in our public sports infrastructure. We need more investment at all levels.
A silver medal in Asia at just 16 — the future looks bright for Indian squash! 🎉 And the fact that three girls from the same program made it to the Asian Junior event speaks volumes. Abhinav and Chetan have clearly built something special here. Huge shoutout to Noshir Kanga's legacy too.
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