Staying focused and trusting her mental strength proved to be the winning formula for Anahat Singh, who finally conquered the one tournament that had eluded her throughout her junior career. According to The Hindu, the World Junior Squash Championships had become the toughest challenge for the Indian star, but in her final attempt as a junior, she created history by becoming the first Indian to win the prestigious title.
For four years, the World Juniors remained Anahat’s biggest hurdle. As reported by The Hindu, she experienced heartbreak after heartbreak, first with a quarterfinal exit, then a semifinal defeat, and almost every time, an Egyptian opponent stood between her and the title. The repeated setbacks became so frustrating that she even described the tournament as a "curse."
That changed on Saturday when the 18-year-old defeated Egypt’s Ruqayya Salem in straight games in the final to claim the World Junior Championship. The victory not only made her the first Indian to lift the title but also ended Egypt’s remarkable run of 13 consecutive championships. According to The Hindu, the triumph marked one of the biggest milestones in Indian squash history.
“The score says 3-0, but it was definitely not comfortable. In a final, every single point feels like it’s the last,” she told The Hindu, in a virtual interaction facilitated by JSW Sports, on Monday.
As The Hindu noted, Anahat believed she had taken control of the match after winning the opening two games. However, the contest became much more challenging in the third game as the pressure mounted.
She managed to regain her composure before the memories of previous disappointments could affect her performance once again.
Throughout the tournament, Anahat dropped only two games, underlining why she entered the competition as the top seed and India’s highest-ranked player. The Hindu highlighted that her consistency and composure throughout the championship reflected the maturity she has developed over the years.
“The mental strength was always there, but I’ve not used it well. So I told myself to focus, get it done and then enjoy it all. Following a set routine really helped, and I think I have to follow it going forward.”
Interestingly, despite the pressure of playing in a world championship, Anahat admitted that her nerves were actually higher during the opening rounds than they were in the final. According to The Hindu, she believed that building momentum early in the tournament was the biggest challenge, and once she crossed those hurdles, her confidence naturally grew.
“I was more stressed out in my first few rounds because you really need to get the momentum right. I knew I was playing well and I was quite confident [going into the final]. I just wanted to get it over with because it was too stressful in the build-up to the tournament.”
Although she achieved a historic milestone for Indian squash, there was still one small moment she wished had gone differently. As The Hindu reported, the young champion laughed while recalling that she was not happy with how she celebrated after securing the biggest victory of her career.
“My celebration was really bad! Winning the title felt unreal, and so I couldn’t think of anything in the moment,” she added with a laugh.
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