Dr Mandaviya hails Anahat Singh on winning historic World Junior squash title
New Delhi, July 26
Union Minister of Youth Affairs and Sports, Dr Mansukh Mandaviya, on Saturday hailed teenage squash player Anahat Singh for becoming the first Indian to win the World Junior Squash Championship title in Ontario, Canada.
The 18-year-old Anahat Singh made history by winning the women's singles title in the World Squash Junior Individual Championships at Niagara-on-the-Lake. The World No 20 and top seed defeated Egyptian second seed Ruqayya Salem 11-3, 11-7, 11-9 in the women's final to claim the biggest title of her career so far.
"History Made! Congratulations to Anahat Singh (@Anahat_Singh13) on becoming the first Indian ever to win the World Squash Junior Championship. A phenomenal achievement and a proud moment for every Indian," wrote Dr Mandaviya in a post on X, formerly Twitter.
The win ends India's 21-year wait for a women's junior finalist since Joshna Chinappa in 2005 and breaks Egypt's 13-year hold on the title, with the Squash Rackets Federation calling it a historic moment as squash heads to the 2028 Olympics.
"A new chapter in Indian squash history! Anahat Singh defeats Ruqayya Salem of Egypt in a commanding 3-0 victory to win the Gold Medal in the Women's Singles Final at the 2026 World Junior Squash Championship. With this remarkable achievement, Anahat becomes the first Indian ever to win the World Junior Squash Championship title, creating a landmark moment for Indian squash and inspiring a new generation of champions.
Congratulations, Anahat!" said the Sports Authority of India in a post.
Anahat has also become the first non-Egyptian player to win the World Junior Squash Championship title since Amanda Sobhy🇺🇸 in 2010. By winning the title on Saturday, she broke the 13-year title-winning streak of Egyptian players, which started in 2011.
Anahat came out charging in the women's singles final, took the lead from the start, gave the Egyptian player few chances, and lifted the title.
Earlier on Friday night, Anahat Singh became the first Indian in 21 years to reach the final of the World Squash Junior Championships, defeating Egypt's Barb Sameh in four games. She continued her brilliant season by defeating another Egyptian in the summit clash.
— IANS
Reader Comments
Wow, what a star! Breaking Egypt's 13-year dominance is no small feat. Anahat Singh has put Indian squash on the global map. Also, kudos to the Sports Authority of India for supporting her journey.
Incredible news! First Indian ever to win this title—what a proud moment for us. 🥇 Anahat's dominance in the final (11-3, 11-7, 11-9) shows she was in a league of her own. Looking forward to seeing her shine in the Olympics!
Such a historic win! But I wonder why we haven't seen more government support for non-cricket sports earlier. At least now with the Olympics coming up, hopefully, we'll see better infrastructure and funding for budding players like Anahat. Great job, Anahat! 🇮🇳
This is a massive achievement for Indian sports! Anahat's win is a testament to her hard work and the growing ecosystem for squash in India. The 21-year wait for a junior finalist since Joshna Chinappa is finally over—now let's hope this inspires more girls to take up the sport.
We welcome thoughtful discussions from our readers. Please keep comments respectful and on-topic.