World champion Anahat Singh gives India new hope of Olympic squash glory MORE SPORTS NEWS

new delhi : For five years, the World Junior Squash Championships have been a mountain to conquer for Anahat Singh. The heartbreaking scenes of the quarter-finals and semi-finals have become a familiar script. But in her final appearance as a junior at the Niagara-on-the-Lake (Canada) event on Saturday, the fearless Delhi girl ended up changing the ending and became the first Indian to be crowned world junior champion.It’s not just a historic title but a statement from India’s brightest squash talent, and India can now start dreaming of medals at the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics, where the sport will make its Olympic debut.The 18-year-old, the top seed in the junior world and No. 20 in the PSA Senior Tour world rankings, ended Egypt’s 13th stranglehold on the women’s title with an 11-3, 11-7, 11-9 victory over second-seeded Rukaya Salem in the final. Anahat also became the first non-Egyptian champion since Amanda Sobhy in 2010 and also surpassed 2005 runner-up Joshna Chinappa to record India’s best result in the event.Her path to the championship was anything but easy. After going through the first few rounds, Anahat had to defeat three Egyptian players in a row – Habiba Rizk in the quarter-finals, Babu Sameh in the semi-finals and Salem in the title match. Defeating three Egyptian players in a row highlighted the growth of the Delhi youngster.The final showed her maturity. She was strong in the first two sets before Salem threatened a comeback in the third with an 8-6 lead. Undeterred, Anahat trusted her offensive instincts and fought back point by point to end the match in straight sets.“I still feel like I’m in a dream,” Anahart said after the win. “This game has almost become a curse for me. I’ve been losing in the semifinals and quarterfinals the past four years. This is my last year as a junior and my only chance to win. It means the world.”The feeling of relief was palpable. If she misses this year, there will be no second chance. Now, with the confidence of a junior world champion, she enters the senior ranks full-time as a top-20 player in the world. “I know if I’m stressed, I’m not going to play well. I’m just focused on hitting my lines and enjoying every moment of being in a world championship final.”Under the guidance of former world champion Gregory Gaultier, Anahart has developed into one of the most exciting competitors on the circuit.Looking back on his progress, Anahart said consistency has been the biggest change. “Before, I could improve my level in a big match but found it difficult to maintain that intensity throughout the entire match. Now I have learned how to support one tough match in another. Training harder, understanding the rhythm of the match and becoming more consistent has made all the difference,” she said.