Anahat Singh makes history by becoming India’s first World Junior Squash Champion

Indian squash reached a watershed moment on Saturday when teenage sensation Anahat Singh made history by becoming the first-ever world junior squash champion with an impressive straight-sets victory in the women’s singles final in Niagara-on-the-Lake, Canada.

The 18-year-old top seed outclassed second seed Ruqayya Salem of Egypt 11-3, 11-7, 11-9 to secure the biggest title of her young career. Anahat also became the first non-Egyptian player to win the girls’ World Junior Championship since American Amanda Sobhy lifted the trophy in 2010, ending Egypt’s 15-year dominance at the event.

The triumph was another milestone for Indian squash. Joshna Chinappa finished second in 2005, but no Indian had gone any better until Anahat’s memorable triumph. The Delhi youngster has already broken a 21-year drought reaching the final earlier this week before sealing history with an emphatic performance in the title race.

ANAHAT IS JUNIOR WORLD CHAMPION

MAKES HISTORY BY BECOMING THE FIRST EVER INDIAN WOMAN TO WIN A WORLD JUNIOR TITLE

– Egypt’s Ruqayya Salem was defeated 3:0 in the final

THE PRESENT AND FUTURE OF INDIAN SQUASH! pic.twitter.com/JgAAVVosAV— The Khel India (@TheKhelIndia) July 25, 2026

ANAHAT DOMINATES FROM START TO FINISH

Anahat lived up to her ranking as the tournament’s top seed with a string of great performances throughout the week. She beat Egypt’s Habiba Rizkova in the quarter-finals, then beat fellow Egyptian Barb Sameh 3-1 in the semi-finals to become the first Indian finalist since Chinappa.

Against Salem in the final, Anahat showed remarkable composure and tactical discipline. She cruised through the opening game 11-3, controlled the rally to take the second 11-7 and held her nerve in a tight third game to wrap up the title 11-9 without losing.

Already one of India’s brightest sporting prospects, Anahat had a breakout year after breaking into the top 20 in the world rankings and picking up multiple PSA titles. The junior world crown is another significant addition to an already impressive rsum that includes medals at the Asian Games and a growing list of achievements at senior level.

With the historic win, Anahat not only rewrote the history of Indian squash but also established herself as one of the brightest young stars in world squash, raising hopes of even greater success when the sport makes its Olympic debut at the Los Angeles Games in 2028.

– The end

Issued by:

sabyasachi chowdhury

Published on:

25 Jul 2026 23:33 IST