'It will popularise squash among youth': PM Modi hails Anahat's historic World Junior triumph
New Delhi, July 26
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday congratulated young squash sensation Anahat Singh after she scripted history by becoming the first Indian to win the World Junior Squash Championship title, calling her triumph a 'historic feat' and expressing confidence that it would inspire more youngsters to take up the sport.
Taking to X, the Prime Minister wrote, "A historic feat at the 2026 World Junior Squash Championship. Proud of Anahat Singh for winning the gold medal and becoming the first Indian squash player ever to win the World Junior Championship title. This accomplishment will further popularise squash among the youth."
The 18-year-old delivered a dominant performance in the women's singles final, defeating Egypt's second seed, Ruqayya Salem, 11-3, 11-7, 11-9 to clinch the title.
Anahat entered the tournament as the top seed and justified her billing with an unbeaten run to the crown. With the victory, she became the first Indian and the first non-Egyptian player to win the women's World Junior Squash Championship since American Amanda Sobhy lifted the title in 2010, ending Egypt's 15-year dominance of the event.
The triumph marked another milestone in Anahat's rapidly rising career. Already one of India's brightest squash prospects, she had won two bronze medals at the 2022 Asian Games as a 15-year-old and has also represented the country at the Commonwealth Games.
Earlier in the day, during the latest edition of his monthly radio programme 'Mann Ki Baat', PM Modi highlighted the recent achievements of Indian sportspersons, beginning with ace shuttler PV Sindhu's maiden Japan Open title.
"Our youth have achieved remarkable feats in sports recently. PV Sindhu has become the first Indian to win the Japan Open title in badminton; the entire nation is proud of this achievement of hers," PM Modi said.
The Prime Minister also lauded the Indian women's cricket team for registering their maiden Test victory at the iconic Lord's Cricket Ground with a commanding 270-run win over England.
"This is a historic victory; our team won the match by a massive margin of 270 runs. But that is not all. In the long history of Lord's, this was the first Test match played by a women's team. It was on this very ground that India won her first Cricket World Cup in 1983. Now, our 'Nari Shakti' has brought glory to the nation there," PM Modi said.
India's win at Lord's was their first-ever women's Test victory at the historic venue and further underlined the team's impressive rise in red-ball cricket.
— IANS
Reader Comments
What a proud moment for Indian sports! Breaking Egypt's 15-year dominance is no joke. PM Modi's recognition is well-deserved. I hope this inspires our state governments to build more squash infrastructure, especially for girls.
Great achievement indeed! But let's also remember that behind every Anahat, there are hundreds of talented kids without proper training facilities. The PM's praise is nice, but real change needs grassroots investment in sports infrastructure.
As a former district-level squash player, I can tell you how rare it is to even find a good court in India. Anahat's success is phenomenal, but we need systemic change. Mann Ki Baat is fine, but give us more Khelo India centres! 🎯
Incredible! From winning bronze at Asian Games at 15 to world champion at 18 - what a journey! Also great to see PM Modi highlighting women's cricket and PV Sindhu in the same breath. This is how sports culture grows - by celebrating all disciplines.
Honestly, I didn't even know India had a squash scene until Anahat came along. This shows how many sports are hiding in plain sight. Kudos to her and her family for sticking with it. Hope more corporates step up to sponsor squash academies.
J Jessica F