Chotrani bows to world No. 1 Asal, India's Worlds campaign ends in second round
Synopsis
India's World Squash Championships dream ended in disappointment as Veer Chotrani succumbed to defending champion Mostafa Asal in the second round. With all four Indian entrants eliminated by this stage, India's medal drought at the Worlds stretches unbroken — a stark reminder of the depth gap between India's squad and the sport's traditional powerhouses in Egypt and Europe.
Key Takeaways
Veer Chotrani lost 5-11, 2-11, 4-11 to world No.
1 Mostafa Asal in the second round on 11 May .
All four Indian competitors — Chotrani , Abhay Singh , Ramit Tandon , and Velavan Senthilkumar — exited by the second round.
India has never won a singles medal at the World Squash Championships .
This is the second consecutive year India's campaign has ended at the second-round stage.
2 seed Paul Coll defeated Baptiste Masotti 11-1, 11-7, 11-9 to advance to the third round.
India's challenge at the World Squash Championships in Giza ended on 11 May when World No. 45 Veer Chotrani fell to Egyptian world No. 1 Mostafa Asal, the defending champion, in the men's second round at Golf Central Palm Hills. Chotrani lost 5-11, 2-11, 4-11 in straight games, marking the exit of India's sole remaining competitor at the tournament.
The loss follows first-round eliminations of Abhay Singh, Ramit Tandon, and Velavan Senthilkumar, leaving India without a representative in the latter rounds. This marks the second consecutive year India's Worlds campaign has ended at the second-round stage — mirroring last year's result at the Chicago edition.
Asal's path and perspective
Asal progressed smoothly against Chotrani, whom he has trained alongside in New York since their junior squash days. "Veer is one of the players that can catch you off at any moment in time, so I'm really happy to get the win," Asal told the PSA Tour website, acknowledging his Indian opponent's calibre. The Egyptian added that he is approaching the tournament methodically, with support from his coaching team and family in his corner.
India's medal drought
India has yet to claim a singles medal at the World Squash Championships across all editions. The repeated early exits — now in back-to-back years at the second round — underscore the competitive gulf between India's top players and the sport's elite, who are concentrated in Egypt, England, and France.
Other second-round results
No. 2 seed Paul Coll, the 2019 World Championship runner-up, dispatched France's Baptiste Masotti in straight games 11-1, 11-7, 11-9. England's Nathan Lake advanced for the first time since 2023, defeating Muhammad Ashab Irfan 3-0 (11-3, 14-12, 12-10). Egypt's World No. 21 Kareem El Torkey also progressed, claiming an 11-7, 11-5, 11-7 victory over No. 6 seed Victor Crouin.
What's next
Coll will face Lake in the third round, with the tournament continuing to whittle down the field toward the final stages. India will now await next year's opportunity to break its Worlds medal curse.
Point of View
For the second year running, reflects a structural weakness in the sport at home. While Chotrani showed promise against the world's best, the repeated early eliminations of the entire Indian contingent expose the gap between India's domestic circuit and the elite global standard. Without investment in high-performance coaching infrastructure and international exposure pathways, India's Worlds medal drought — now spanning decades — is unlikely to end soon.
NationPress
11 Aug 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
Who did Veer Chotrani lose to at the World Squash Championships?
Chotrani lost to Egyptian world No. 1 Mostafa Asal, the defending champion, in the men's second round on 11 May. The scoreline was 5-11, 2-11, 4-11 in straight games.
Has India won a medal at the World Squash Championships?
No, India has yet to win a singles medal at the World Squash Championships across all editions of the tournament.
Which Indian players competed at the World Squash Championships?
Four Indian players competed: Veer Chotrani, Abhay Singh, Ramit Tandon, and Velavan Senthilkumar. All four were eliminated by the second round.
When was India's last World Squash Championships campaign?
India's previous campaign was at the World Championships in Chicago last year, where the challenge also ended at the second-round stage.
