Anahat Singh wins World Junior Squash title, first Indian to claim the crown
Synopsis
Anahat Singh did what no Indian had done before — won the World Junior Squash Championship. The 18-year-old dismantled Egypt's 13-year grip on the title with a commanding 3-0 final win in Canada, arriving just as squash prepares for its Olympic debut in 2028. Indian squash has a new face, and she just announced herself to the world.
Key Takeaways
Anahat Singh , 18, became the first Indian ever to win the World Junior Squash Championship on 26 July 2026 .
She defeated Egyptian second seed Ruqayya Salem 11-3, 11-7, 11-9 in the women's singles final at Niagara-on-the-Lake, Canada .
The win ended Egypt's 13-year unbeaten run at the championship, which had stretched from 2011 onwards.
Anahat is the first non-Egyptian winner of the title since Amanda Sobhy (USA) in 2010 .
Her final berth itself ended a 21-year wait for India since Joshna Chinappa reached the final in 2005 .
The achievement arrives as squash prepares for its Olympic debut at the 2028 Los Angeles Games .
Anahat Singh on 26 July 2026 became the first Indian ever to win the World Junior Squash Championship, defeating Egyptian second seed Ruqayya Salem 11-3, 11-7, 11-9 in the women's singles final at Niagara-on-the-Lake, Ontario, Canada. The 18-year-old, ranked World No. 20 and top seed in the tournament, claimed the biggest title of her career in commanding fashion.
A Dominant Final Performance
Anahat came out aggressive from the first point, seizing control early and offering her Egyptian opponent little room to settle. The 3-0 scoreline — 11-3, 11-7, 11-9 — reflected her dominance across all three games. The win capped a brilliant week at the 2026 World Squash Junior Individual Championships, where she had already made history on Friday night by becoming the first Indian in 21 years to reach the final, defeating Egypt's Barb Sameh in four games in the semi-final.
Records Broken, History Rewritten
Anahat's triumph ended Egypt's 13-year stranglehold on the title — a run that had stretched unbroken since 2011. She also became the first non-Egyptian player to win the World Junior Squash Championship since Amanda Sobhy of the United States in 2010. Her run to the final itself had already ended a 21-year wait for India, with Joshna Chinappa having been the last Indian woman to reach the final back in 2005.
Government and Sports Bodies React
Union Minister of Youth Affairs and Sports Dr Mansukh Mandaviya was among the first to congratulate the teenager. 'History Made! Congratulations to Anahat Singh on becoming the first Indian ever to win the World Squash Junior Championship. A phenomenal achievement and a proud moment for every Indian,' he wrote in a post on X.
The Sports Authority of India (SAI) also celebrated the milestone, calling it 'a landmark moment for Indian squash and inspiring a new generation of champions.' The Squash Rackets Federation of India described the win as historic, particularly given that squash is set to make its Olympic debut at the 2028 Los Angeles Games.
Why This Win Matters for Indian Squash
The timing of Anahat's breakthrough could not be more significant. With squash heading to the 2028 Olympics for the first time, the sport is entering a new era of global visibility and competitive funding. An Indian world junior champion at this juncture places the country firmly on the squash map and is likely to accelerate grassroots investment and institutional support. Notably, this is only the second time in over two decades that an Indian woman has even reached the world junior final — underlining just how rare, and consequential, this achievement is.
Anahat Singh's victory is a signal that Indian squash, long overshadowed by the sport's traditional powerhouses, is entering a new chapter.
Point of View
And do so in straight games, demands attention. What mainstream coverage may underplay is the Olympic dimension: squash debuts at Los Angeles 2028, and a world junior champion at this moment is precisely the kind of pipeline story that shapes funding decisions and federation priorities. The question now is whether Indian sports institutions will back this momentum with sustained investment, or treat it as a one-off headline.
NationPress
26 Jul 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
Who is Anahat Singh and what did she win?
Anahat Singh is an 18-year-old Indian squash player ranked World No. 20. On 26 July 2026, she became the first Indian ever to win the World Junior Squash Championship, defeating Egypt's Ruqayya Salem 11-3, 11-7, 11-9 in the women's singles final at Niagara-on-the-Lake, Canada.
Why is Anahat Singh's win historically significant?
It is the first time any Indian has won the World Junior Squash Championship title. Her win also ended Egypt's 13-year dominance of the event and made her the first non-Egyptian champion since Amanda Sobhy of the USA in 2010.
When was the last time an Indian woman reached the World Junior Squash final?
Joshna Chinappa was the last Indian woman to reach the final, in 2005 — a gap of 21 years before Anahat Singh repeated the feat and went on to win the title in 2026.
How does this win connect to the 2028 Olympics?
Squash is set to make its Olympic debut at the 2028 Los Angeles Games. Anahat's world junior title positions her as a strong contender and raises the profile of Indian squash at a critical moment ahead of the sport's first Olympic appearance.
How did the government respond to Anahat Singh's victory?
Union Minister of Youth Affairs and Sports Dr Mansukh Mandaviya congratulated Anahat on X, calling it 'a phenomenal achievement and a proud moment for every Indian.' The Sports Authority of India also hailed the win as a landmark moment for Indian squash.
