Indian squash has enjoyed moments of individual brilliance before, but 2025 will be remembered as the year the sport finally acquired collective authority on the global stage.
It was not just about medals or rankings; it was about India proving, consistently and convincingly, that it belongs in the same competitive breath as the traditional powerhouses of the sport.
The defining image of the year came in Chennai, where India lifted the Squash World Cup for the first time. A home crowd, a mixed team format, and a flawless campaign combined to create a landmark moment. India did not sneak past opponents or rely on one standout performance. It dominated. From the group stage to the final, the team did not drop a single tie a level of control that spoke volumes about preparation, belief, and depth.
Beating Egypt in the semifinals was particularly significant. For decades, Egyptian squash has been the gold standard, producing champions with metronomic regularity. India’s straight-sets win was not an upset born of chance; it was a statement of readiness. By the time Hong Kong China were swept aside in the final, the title felt inevitable rather than surprising.
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That final also encapsulated the story of Indian squash in 2025 the seamless coexistence of experience and youth. Joshna Chinappa, nearing 40, set the tone with composure and tactical clarity. Abhay Singh followed with relentless pace and physical dominance. And then came Anahat Singh, still a teenager, finishing the job with a calmness that belied her age. The generational handover was happening in real time, not as a promise but as a reality.
If the World Cup was the collective peak, Anahat Singh’s year was the individual axis around which Indian squash revolved. Her rise was neither sudden nor accidental. Over the past two seasons, she has steadily transitioned from junior prodigy to senior contender, and in 2025 she crossed that invisible line that separates promise from authority.
A world junior bronze medal in Cairo ended a 15-year wait for India and, more importantly, broke her own psychological barrier against Egyptian opponents. On the professional circuit, her dominance at the Challenger level nine titles and a staggering unbeaten run pushed her into the world’s top 30.
What stood out about Anahat in 2025 was not just her results, but the manner of them. She won matches quickly when she could, endured long battles when required, and showed a tactical maturity that suggested her ceiling is far higher than her current ranking. Her victories over Joshna Chinappa in domestic finals felt symbolic respectful but decisive marking a changing of the guard that was handled with grace on both sides.
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Chinappa’s own season deserves equal respect. Written off by many after injury setbacks, she responded with one of the most emotionally resonant comebacks of the year. Winning the Japan Open her first title in a decade was not just about rankings or trophies. It reaffirmed the value of experience in a sport that increasingly rewards physical intensity. Her contribution to India’s Asian doubles gold with Anahat further underlined her adaptability and relevance.
On the men’s side, depth emerged as the biggest takeaway. For the first time, India ended a year with four players inside the world’s top 50 Abhay Singh, Ramit Tandon, Velavan Senthilkumar, and Veer Chotrani. This was not a statistical curiosity but a structural shift. Indian men were no longer reliant on a lone standard-bearer; they were competing in clusters.
Abhay Singh’s victory over former world champion Karim Gawad was the most eye-catching result, but it was his consistency across events that truly elevated him. Velavan Senthilkumar’s domestic resurgence, including reclaiming the national title, ensured internal competition remained fierce. Such rivalries, when healthy, are often the engine rooms of sustained success.
Perhaps the most underappreciated achievement of the year came at the Asian Doubles Championships, where India swept all three gold medals men’s, women’s, and mixed. Doubles squash demands chemistry, awareness, and tactical cohesion, qualities that rarely develop overnight. That India could dominate across all categories suggested not just individual excellence, but a shared playing philosophy.
Behind these performances lies an ecosystem that is finally beginning to function as intended. Targeted government support through TOPS and TAGG has allowed players to plan seasons rather than chase funding. Access to international coaching, sustained tour exposure, and sports science support has narrowed the gap between Indian players and the world’s best. Success in 2025 was not spontaneous; it was cumulative.
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With squash set to make its Olympic debut at Los Angeles 2028, the timing could not be better. The milestones of 2025 have repositioned India from hopeful participant to credible contender. The road ahead particularly the 2026 Asian Games will be demanding, but for the first time, Indian squash approaches it with momentum rather than aspiration.
What 2025 ultimately delivered was belief within the system, within the players, and among followers of the sport. Indian squash is no longer asking if it belongs at the top table. It is learning how long it intends to stay there.
