Squash prodigy Anahat Singh has set her sights firmly on the 2026 Asian Games, calling it the ‘most important tournament’ of her life, days after becoming the first Indian to win the World Junior Squash Championship. The 18-year-old, who ended Egypt’s long-standing dominance of the junior women’s singles event, is now channelling her momentum toward the continental showpiece — where Olympic qualification is also on the line.

Historic World Junior Title

Anahat clinched the World Junior women’s singles crown in Canada, defeating Egypt’s Ruqayya Salem 11-3, 11-7, 11-9 in the final. The victory made her the first Indian to claim the title and ended Egypt’s grip on the event. Earlier in the year, she had won the Squash On Fire Open by beating then-World No. 10 Georgina Kennedy in the final, and became the youngest Asian player to break into the world’s top 20.

Asian Games: The Next Big Target

‘I think it’s just the most important tournament of my life coming up. So I’m just going to give it my all in the next few months,’ Anahat said at a felicitation event organised by the Squash Federation of India in partnership with HCL Squash. Currently ranked among the world’s top 20, she is under no illusion about the competition awaiting her. Players from Malaysia, Hong Kong, and Japan — several ranked inside the world’s top 10 — are expected to feature in the field.

Despite the high stakes, Anahat is focused on taking the tournament one match at a time. ‘I don’t even know who I’m playing yet. So I think just focusing on who I’m going to be playing in the events and take it from there,’ she said.

Olympic Dream in Sight

Squash will make its Olympic debut at Los Angeles in 2028, making the Asian Games a pivotal stepping stone for qualification. ‘Making it to the Olympics is every athlete’s dream. And being the first squash player ever to do it would be something that would make me the happiest in the world,’ Anahat said. The 2026 Asian Games performance is expected to carry significant weight in the Olympic selection process.

Motivation, Not Pressure

Anahat has prior Asian Games experience, and she draws on those memories as fuel rather than burden. ‘Last time I played the Asian Games, I’d say they were the two best weeks of my life. I had so much fun, and it was just an amazing experience being at the village and getting to see so many of the top athletes,’ she recalled. She added that she intends to replicate that experience — this time with the added weight of expectation and a sharper competitive edge. ‘If I’m able to train really hard for the next few months and really improve and play my best game in the Asian Games, then it would be amazing. And this is, as we said, just the beginning,’ she said.

With the Asian Games on the horizon and an Olympic debut for squash just two years away, Anahat Singh’s trajectory suggests Indian squash is entering a new era.