The 2025 World Junior Squash Championships in Cairo marked a turning point for Indian squash.
With a bronze medal for the men’s team, a spirited quarter-final run by the women’s team, and a breakthrough individual bronze by rising star Anahat Singh, India’s young players showcased both depth and determination on the global stage.
Beyond medals, the performance underlined years of investment, coaching, and strategic planning that have started to narrow the gap with the sport’s elite nations a promising sign ahead of squash’s historic debut at the LA 2028 Olympics.
Men’s team: a return to the world’s top four after 13 years
Seeded No. 5, the Indian men’s team comprising Sandhesh PR, Yusha Nafees, Arihant K S, and Aryaveer Dewan approached the championships with quiet confidence but were considered outsiders for the podium. Drawn into Group E with Japan, South Africa, and Germany, they advanced to the quarter-finals after a key 2-0 playoff win over Canada.
The defining moment came in the quarter-finals against No. 3 seeds Republic of Korea, who had also been finalists at the 2024 edition. Driven by memories of a narrow defeat to the same team in Houston last year, India turned the tables in a gripping tie:
- Yusha Nafees started strong, winning 11-5, 11-5, 11-9 against Jeong Uk Ryu.
- Top player Sandhesh PR fell to Korea’s Joo Young Na, the previous year’s individual finalist, 4-11, 4-11, 4-11.
- With the tie level, 18-year-old Arihant K S sealed the historic win, triumphing 11-7, 11-13, 11-8, 11-7 against Jong-hyeok Lee.
The 2-1 victory sent India into the semi-finals and secured a bronze medal, their first in 13 years (previous semi-final appearances were in 2008 and 2012). Coach Harinder Pal Sandhu hailed the achievement, praising the team’s determination. The medal not only signified redemption for last year’s heartbreak but highlighted India’s growing squad depth, where wins came from players beyond the top seed.
Women’s team: strong progress, but Egypt remain the benchmark
The Indian women’s team, seeded No. 7, advanced confidently from Group B with victories including a decisive 3-0 sweep over Brazil. However, the quarter-finals brought a daunting clash against the nine-time consecutive champions Egypt, a side with unmatched junior dominance.
Without first-string player Anahat Singh India fell 0-3:
- Anika Dubey lost 2-11, 4-11, 5-11 to Nadien Elhammamy.
- Unnati Tripathi was beaten 1-11, 3-11, 0-11 by Amina Orfi.
- Navya Sundararajan lost a closer match 9-11, 5-11 to Sohayla Hazem.
Despite the defeat, reaching the last eight reflected steady improvement. The absence of Anahat, likely to manage player workload, underlined the delicate balance between individual and team objectives especially against a powerhouse like Egypt where the odds were already steep.
Anahat Singh: ending a 15-year individual medal drought
Seventeen-year-old Anahat Singh made history by clinching a bronze medal in the individual competition India’s first since Dipika Pallikal’s bronze in 2010. Seeded second, Anahat broke a three-year quarter-final barrier with a commanding 3-0 win (11-6, 13-11, 11-5) over Egypt’s Malika Elkaraksy.
In the semi-final, she pushed top-seed Nadien Elhammamy close, saving multiple game points before narrowly losing 6-11, 12-14, 10-12. Her run was remarkable not just for the medal, but because she was the only non-Egyptian among the eight semi-finalists highlighting both Egypt’s depth and Anahat’s elite potential.
Already ranked World No. 54 on the PSA senior tour, Anahat adds this to an U19 Asian title, PSA Challenger wins, and Asian Games team bronzes, setting a new benchmark for junior squash in India.
Historical perspective: a new peak, but work ahead
The men’s bronze marks India’s third semi-final finish in World Junior Championships history (2008, 2012, and now 2025). For the women, previous bests include a fourth place in 2003 and eighth in 2001. The team results reflect a pattern of peaks rather than continuous top-tier presence, pointing to the challenge of sustaining depth year after year.
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Notably, the men’s team overcame higher seeds, while the women’s side was outclassed by Egypt, showing where future focus is needed especially building a broader pool to challenge dominant nations.
Strategic investment pays off and what’s next
The Squash Rackets Federation of India (SRFI) and Sports Authority of India (SAI) have invested in coaching, training centres like the Indian Squash Academy, and more international exposure. The recent India Squash Tour 2025–26, expanded to six cities with record prize money, aims to help young players earn PSA points at home, bridging the junior-senior transition.
Looking ahead, squash’s debut at the LA 2028 Olympics is expected to drive greater grassroots participation and funding and serve as motivation for the next generation.
The 2025 World Junior Squash Championships stand out as a milestone: a men’s team bronze breaking a 13-year gap, an individual bronze ending a 15-year drought, and a women’s team pushing into the last eight. But just as importantly, it reveals where India must improve in squad depth, consistency, and strategic planning against giants like Egypt.
For Indian squash, the medals matter, but so does what comes next: using this breakthrough to build a sustained presence among the world’s elite not just for this cycle, but for many to come.
