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Chotrani Carries India’s Hopes at World Squash Championships After Early Exits

India’s challenge at the World Squash Championships has narrowed to Veer Chotrani after Velavan Senthilkumar and Ramit Tandon lost their opening matches. Senthilkumar was defeated 3-0 by France’s Victor Crouin, while Tandon lost 3-1 to Egypt’s Kareem El Torkey. Chotrani earlier upset India’s top-ranked player Abhay Singh and now faces world No. 1 Mostafa Asal. Squash is set to debut at the LA 2028 Olympics.

Key Points: World Squash: Chotrani Sole Indian Survivor in Egypt

  • Senthilkumar loses 3-0 to France’s Victor Crouin
  • Tandon falls to Egypt’s Kareem El Torkey 3-1
  • Chotrani is the sole Indian survivor after upsetting Abhay Singh
  • Chotrani faces world No. 1 Mostafa Asal in second round
2 min read

World Squash Championships: Senthilkumar, Tandon exit as Chotrani carries India's hopes in Egypt

Veer Chotrani is India’s last hope at the World Squash Championships after Senthilkumar and Tandon exit. He faces world No. 1 Mostafa Asal next.

"The two defeats on Saturday have left Veer Chotrani as the sole remaining Indian contender at the Giza event. - Olympics.com"

Giza, May 9

India's challenge at the World Squash Championships 2026 has been reduced to just Veer Chotrani after Velavan Senthilkumar and Ramit Tandon were knocked out in their opening-round matches in Giza, Egypt, on Saturday.

Senthilkumar, ranked 50th in the world, went down 3-0 (11-8, 11-8, 11-3) to France's sixth seed and world No. 5 Victor Crouin in his opening-round match at the Palm Hills Club and PGC Golf Central Mall.

This was the 33-year-old Indian squash player's third loss against his French opponent in as many meetings on the squash court, as per Olympics.com.

Tandon lost to Egypt's Kareem El Torkey, a player ranked 19 places better off - by a 3-1 (11-6, 7-11, 11-6, 11-0) margin. This was the first-ever meeting between the two players on the PSA circuit.

The two defeats on Saturday have left Veer Chotrani as the sole remaining Indian contender at the Giza event.

Chotrani had earlier produced an upset in the opening round, rallying from behind to defeat compatriot and India's top-ranked men's singles player Abhay Singh (world No. 22) 3-2 on Friday.

The world No. 45, however, faces a daunting challenge in the second round against Egypt's world No. 1 Mostafa Asal on Sunday.

India had fielded a four-member squad for the World Squash Championships. Squash is set to make its Olympic debut at LA 2028.

- ANI

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Reader Comments

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Priya S
As a big squash fan, this is disappointing but not surprising. Our players always struggle against top seeds in early rounds. The gap in rankings is just too big – Senthilkumar at 50 vs Crouin at 5? That's a mountain to climb. And Tandon losing 11-0 in the fourth game after winning the second shows the mental pressure. Chotrani is a fighter though! Coming from behind to beat Abhay Singh was brilliant. Hope he gives Asal a tough match. India needs more PSA tournaments and better training infrastructure to compete consistently at this level.
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Ananya R
Veer Chotrani is the hero we didn't expect! 🎉 Beating India's top-ranked player Abhay Singh in the first round? That's the kind of upset that makes tournaments exciting. Yes, Asal will be incredibly tough – he's literally the best in the world right now – but our boy has nothing to lose. Go for it, Veer! And honestly, just making it to the second round of a World Championship is an achievement. Squash at LA 2028 is going to be epic – hope we have more players at that level by then.
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Rohit P
Every time I see Indian squash players in international events, I feel proud but also a bit sad. These guys train so hard with limited resources. Senthilkumar has been around for a while – 33 years old, three losses to Crouin – shows the pattern. Tandon is promising though, first meeting with El Torkey and he took a game. But that 11-0 in the fourth? Yaar, that must sting. Chotrani is the real deal – beating your compatriot and top seed takes guts. Hope he enjoys the moment against Asal. No shame in losing to the world No. 1. 🇮🇳💪
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Sarah B

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