Anahat Singh settles for silver at British Junior Open 2024

Aryaveer Dewan clinched bronze medal in the Boys U 15 category

Anahat Singh, India’s squash sensation, narrowly missed out on the gold medal at the British Junior Open 2024, losing to Egypt’s Nadien Elhammamy in a thrilling five-game final on Sunday.

The top-seeded Indian, who had not dropped a single set on her way to the final, fought hard against the Egyptian, but fell short in the end, losing 7-11, 13-11, 12-10, 5-11, 11-9 in a marathon match that lasted 68 minutes.

Anahat, who had won the Asian Junior Squash Individual Championships in U-17 category in 2023, was aiming to add an 18th title to her already impressive tally. She had also won the Scottish Junior Open in the U-19 category in December 2023, beating Robyn McAlpine of Scotland in the final.

Anahat, who was the youngest athlete to represent India at the 2022 Commonwealth Games, where she won a match in the women’s singles event, has been a beacon of hope for Indian squash. Her journey to the finals of the British Junior Open 2024, one of the most prestigious junior squash tournaments in the world, has been nothing short of inspirational, and her performance has captured the attention of squash enthusiasts worldwide.

Anahat, who is currently ranked No. 2 in Asia in the Girls U17 category behind Ena Kwong of Hong Kong China, wants to break into the Top 50 in the PSA world rankings. She also dreams of winning an Olympic medal, a possibility that has been boosted by the inclusion of squash at the Los Angeles Olympics in 2028.

Meanwhile, in other matches, Aryaveer Dewan clinched the bronze medal in the Boys U 15 category at the British Junior Open 2024, beating Farouk Mohamed of Egypt 3-0 (11-7, 12-10, 11-6). The Indian squash star, who had won the US Junior Open in 2023, had lost to Philopater Saleh of Egypt in the semifinals.

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