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India's young sensation Anahat Singh expressed her delight following winning the Squash Junior Championships 2026, calling it the fulfilment of a long-held dream.
She also said her focus has now shifted to the Asian Games in Aichi-Nagoya, Japan, scheduled to be held from September 19 to October 4, 2026, where she hopes to win gold and boost her chances of securing Olympic qualification. Anahat defeated Egypt's Ruqayya Salem 3-0 in the girls' singles final of the World Squash Junior Championships 2026 to claim the prestigious title last Saturday. With the win, Anahat scripted history by becoming the first Indian to win the World Squash Junior Championships title. Anahat received a resounding welcome at the Delhi Airport following her historic campaign at the 2026 World Squash Junior Championships held in Niagara-on-the-Lake, Canada. "I'm really happy. I've been playing this event for the last four years, and I've always fallen short in the quarterfinals or semifinals, so it's a great feeling to finally win the title this year. The Asian Games are just two months away, and that's my biggest focus now because they're also an Olympic qualifier. My main goal over the next few months is to prepare well and hopefully win a gold medal at the Asian Games," Singh told ANI. "Winning this title still feels unreal. It has been my dream ever since I started playing squash, and it took me a few days to truly process that I had actually won the tournament. I'm obviously delighted, but I also know this is just the beginning. I want to keep improving, keep growing as a player, and continue winning more titles," she added. The 18-year-old was in complete control throughout the final and capped a dominant campaign in which she dropped just two games across six matches. Anahat began her campaign with a straight-games win over Australian qualifier Lilly Wilson before defeating Hong Kong China's Pui Yin Chloe Lo and Malaysia's Doyce Ye San Lee to reach the quarterfinals. She then overcame Egypt's Habiba Rizk 3-1 (11-7, 11-5, 6-11, 11-9) in the quarterfinals before defeating another Egyptian, Barb Sameh, 3-1 (11-3, 8-11, 11-4, 11-6) in the semifinals. (ANI)
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