How Did Yusha Nafees and Rudra Singh Excel at the Indian Junior Open Squash Championships?

Synopsis
Key Takeaways
- Yusha Nafees showcased resilience by winning the boys' U-19 title after being down two games.
- Rudra Singh demonstrated maturity in securing the girls' U-19 crown.
- The tournament featured over 520 entries across various age groups.
- Numerous young talents emerged, with impressive performances across multiple categories.
- The event was held at the Rajasthan Squash Academy in Jaipur.
Jaipur, Sep 6 (NationPress) Rising star Yusha Nafees, who played a pivotal role in securing a bronze medal for the Indian boys’ team at the Asian Junior Team Championships earlier this year, further demonstrated his immense potential by winning the boys’ U-19 title at the Indian Junior Open Squash Championships held in Jaipur on Saturday.
Competing at the Rajasthan Squash Academy, Nafees exhibited remarkable resilience as he came back from two games down to triumph over Rachit Shah in a thrilling five-game encounter. After losing the first two games 8-11 and 5-11, Nafees recovered spectacularly, claiming the next three games with scores of 11-8, 11-5, and 11-2, thus clinching the championship in front of an enthusiastic home crowd.
This week-long prestigious event attracted an impressive total of 520 participants across 12 categories, showcasing high-caliber squash from India’s most talented young athletes. Contributing to the nation’s success, Rudra Singh secured the girls’ U-19 title, defeating Vyomika Khandelwal with a score of 11-7, 13-11, 11-2 in straight games. Singh's performance, especially in the second game, highlighted her composure and maturity at the top junior level.
In other finals, Subhash Choudhary, the top seed in the boys’ U-17 division, overcame Raghav Vashishtha with scores of 11-8, 11-4, 10-12, and 11-2. Meanwhile, Sehar Nayar, seeded 3/4, lived up to expectations by defeating Saanvi Kalanki in the girls’ U-17 final with scores of 12-10, 11-1, and 11-6.
Top seed Shreyansh Jha continued his impressive form by clinching the boys’ U-15 title, winning against Harshal Rana with a score of 14-12, 11-5, and 11-8. In a surprising turn, unseeded Aadya Budhia triumphed over top seed Vasundhara Nangare in the girls’ U-15 final, finishing 12-10, 11-7, 10-12, and 11-7.
More remarkable outcomes emerged in the younger categories. Shayan Samtani dominated the boys’ U-13 final with an 11-5, 11-2, 12-10 victory over Abhyuday Arora, while Shanaya Parasrampuria excelled in the girls’ U-13 final, defeating Nandikasree Kalaivanan 11-7, 11-7, and 11-6.
In the boys’ U-11 division, K. Haribala edged out top seed Tilakvir Kapoor in a nail-biting match, finishing 11-9, 12-10, 8-11, 6-11, and 11-9. Likewise, Alia Kankaria narrowly defeated top seed Keerti Pradha Junivar Bala in the girls’ U-11 category with scores of 10-12, 11-8, 11-9, and 16-14.
The youngest champions were Amaay Mahajan in the boys’ U-9 category, who triumphed over Darsh Mehrotra with scores of 13-11, 11-6, and 11-6, and K Tulasi Mira in the girls’ U-9, who won against Lakshanya Rajawat 12-10, 11-6, and 11-4.