Union Sports Minister Mandaviya honours Squash star Anahat Singh, Indian junior men's team for medal wins at World Junior C'ships 2026
New Delhi, August 4
Union Minister of Youth Affairs & Sports Dr Mansukh Mandaviya felicitated India's World Junior Squash Championship 2026 medallists, including Gold medalist Anahat Singh and bronze medal-winning Indian men's junior team Aryaveer Dewan, Yusha Nafees and Gurveer Singh.
Anahat, 18, became the first Indian to win the World Junior Squash Championships women's singles title, in Canada last week. This was her fifth participation at the competition and her 2nd medal from the World Championships. She had won the bronze last year in Cairo.
Anahat defeated Egypt's Ruqayya Salem 3-0 in the girls' singles final of the World Squash Junior Championships 2026 to claim the prestigious title last Saturday.
Interacting with the athletes, Mandaviya encouraged the youngsters to treat their recent success as the beginning of a much longer journey, with major milestones such as the Asian Games 2026 and the Olympic Games 2028 lying ahead.
Congratulating Anahat on her landmark achievement, Mandaviya said her historic triumph is worthy of inspiring millions of young Indians to take up squash. In a sweet gesture, Anahat also presented an autographed squash racquet and squash ball to the Minister.
The youngsters also indulged in selfies and candid conversations, making the felicitation event a heart and joyful occasion.
India's recent accomplishments in the world of squash are really significant, considering that the sport is making its Olympics debut in the 2028 edition to be held in Los Angeles.
— ANI
Reader Comments
So proud of Anahat and the boys team! But let's be honest - the government needs to do more than just felicitations. We need better infrastructure and coaching at the grassroots level. Otherwise these wins will remain one-offs. Still, congratulations to all the champions! 🎉
This is huge! Anahat literally made history in Canada. And people don't realise how tough it is to beat Egyptian players in squash - they've dominated this sport for decades. Beating one of them 3-0 in the final shows her class. Olympic medal loading for 2028! 🔥
Finally some good news in Indian sports beyond cricket! The squash scene has been quietly building up for years. With the sport entering the Olympics, this is the perfect time. Congrats to Anahat and the junior men's team. Hope this inspires more families to consider squash as a career option.
Honestly speaking, while I'm happy for Anahat, I hope the ministry doesn't just use this for photo-ops. We've seen how Olympic medal winners get forgotten after the media glare fades. The real test is whether there's a proper plan for her preparation for LA 2028. Actions speak louder than selfies, Minister ji. 🤔
Ek dum zabardast! 🎊 Anahat's journey from bronze last year to gold this year shows her dedication. And the boys' bronze adds to the pride. But honestly, we need to see more squash courts in our cities. Delhi, Mumbai, Chennai - where are the public squash facilities? The government should address this before celebrating too much.