India’s tryst with squash began during the British Raj. The sport was popular among the upper class and was played heavily within the army facilities. In the late 1950s, Major K.S. Jain’s six consecutive wins in the National Squash Championships earned him the honor of being the first squash player to receive the Arjuna Award in 1961.
The next couple of decades went relatively arid in terms of India’s global representation in the sport. Even the national circuit required a unifying governing body. The establishment of the Squash Rackets Federation of India (SRFI) thus became imperative. Headquartered in Chennai, the SRFI currently has 24 state-level squash associations affiliated with it. Its persistent efforts over three decades have finally seen the sport gain widespread popularity in the past decade.
The SRFI is responsible for conducting training camps for players and coaches, governing both the junior & senior events across the country, and promoting international participation of players. As of 2025, 13 squash players have been felicitated with the Arjuna award, and 81 editions of the National Championships have been hosted, featuring both men’s and women’s events in both the junior and senior categories.
For the keen reader seeking to understand the National Squash circuit in India, this article serves as a guide on how a budding player can transition from the junior to the senior stages.
On the SRFI-governed circuit, every professional squash player must have an I-SPIN (India – Squash Personal Identification Number). This ID helps them gain entry into basic and professional events. The season begins in January. Every squash event is given a ‘star’ (from one to seven) depending on how prestigious the event is.
To put it into perspective, winning a one-star event earns the player 135 points, whereas winning a six-star event earns 945 points. Basic events can be non-ranking, one-star, or two-star events.
Junior National Squash Circuit
Junior events are classified by age group: U-11, U-15, U-17, U-19, and U-23. All players aged U-19 and below are required to wear protective eyewear during matches. The Junior National Championship is held in October and November. However, for juniors, the Indian Junior Open is the apex event; a six-star event. It is usually played out between May and July. The Khelo India Youth Games feature next and are categorized in the four-star bracket. Various intercollegiate and interstate competitions are held for juniors; however, they do not carry significant ranking points.
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At a continental level, the SRFI ensures that promising juniors have the opportunity to compete in tournaments affiliated with the Asian Squash Federation (ranging from three-star to five-star) and in the Asian Junior Individual Championships (a seven-star event).
A few tournaments featuring players representing the SRFI include the European Squash Federation tournaments (two-star), Dutch Juniors (four-star), European and Egyptian Juniors (five-star), and the British Juniors (six-star). The pinnacle event for the juniors globally is the World Junior Individual Championships; a seven-star haven for the young guns.
Senior National Squash Circuit
Squash events in the senior category are called Satellite or Challenger events, and they are graded between three stars and six stars. The ultimate national event is the Senior Nationals, which carries a seven-star weightage. A highlight of the National Squash circuit is the four SRFI Slam events, which fall in the five-star category. These are the Northern Slam, Southern Slam, Western Slam, and Eastern Slam. These are interstate events, and participants receive entry based on their native state. The SRFI has a pre-decided list of which state falls under which region.
Closed-state championships are also a part of the National Squash calendar. A state association can host these events once a year. However, players can enter another closed-state event only after a 6-month gap.
The Khelo India University Games are bracketed as four-star events. Based on their rankings and performance, players can represent the nation at the South Asian Games and the World University Championships (both five-star events). The National Games are held as a season-ending event in which the Top 32 players, based on the SRFI rankings, compete for 945 points. The next best tier is the Asian Individual Games, which is also a six-star event.
Finally, the two multi-sport events in which the Indian audience has witnessed the game of sport most prominently are the Asian Games and the Commonwealth Games. Both events are categorised as six-star events per the SRFI.
Masters & Pro Coach
Masters and Professional Coaches are also two categories that feature players over the age of 35. The various age groups in which these events are held include women over 35, Masters over 40, 45, 50, 55, 60, 65, and 70. Tournaments across all stars are played for these players. However, the most notable ones fall into the two-star and six-star categories, with total prize pools ranging from 10,000 INR to 50,000 INR.
Based on their performance on the National Squash Circuit, players get a weekly update on their SRFI national rankings. An athlete’s standing determines their stance of making it to the Challenger and World Events of the professional circuit. The PSA Squash Tour’s circuit shall be explained in a separate article.
