Anahat Singh – India’s Squash Prodigy

Some sports persons register significant achievements at an early age and a relevant example will be India’s leading squash player, Anahat Singh. Born on 13th March 2008 and still in her teens, Anahat Singh has already won medals in major tournaments such as the Asian Games and Asian Championships. She has also won the gold in Asian Junior Championships. Till date, Anahat Singh has won 21 tour titles. She is currently ranked 57th in the Women’s Squash World Rankings. Experts predict that Anahat Singh will achieve even better results in the future.

Early nurturing in a sports-loving family

While talent is necessary, it also helps if an individual has supportive parents. This has worked in favor of Anahat Singh, as both her mother and father were former college hockey players. Anahat’s parents have taken different roles after their sports career – her mother Tani Vadehra working as an interior designer, whereas her father Gursharan Singh a lawyer. Anahat also received support from her uncle, who was earlier a tennis player.

Interestingly, Anahat initially had dreams to become a badminton player, having been inspired by leading star P.V. Sindhu. Anahat had started playing badminton since age five. However, after trying squash when she was eight years old, Anahat developed a greater liking for the game. Her elder sister, Amira, a leading squash player, provided the necessary support and guidance.

Stellar rise in junior squash (2016 – 2019)

Anahat Singh was initially provided coaching by Amjad Khan and Ashraf Hussein. Her talent shined bright, as she emerged India’s No.1 squash player in the Under-11 category. She won the Under-11 title at the British Junior Open in 2019, which was a first for an Indian squash player.

In the same year, Anahat Singh also secured a bronze at the Malaysian Junior Open and a bronze at the Asian Junior Championships. With these wins, Anahat Singh emerged as Asia’s top Under-13 player. She received wide appreciation for her superior agility and precision.

Booming squash career as a senior player

Anahat was part of the Indian contingent at the 2022 Commonwealth Games held in Birmingham. Aged just 14 years, she was the youngest athlete in the Indian contingent. A major win was against Jada Ross of St. Vincent and the Grenadines. However, she lost to Emily Whitlock in the next round. Even then, her skills and commitment were highly appreciated. At that time, she was coached by Ritwick Bhattacharya and others.

A significant milestone came in 2023, when Anahat Singh secured a win in the Under-15 British Junior Open and the Under-17 Asian Junior Championships. Next came the Asian Games held in Hangzhou, where Anahat secured two bronze medals. One was in the women’s team and the other in the mixed doubles events. At age 15, Anahat secured the Senior National Championship title. This made her the youngest champion in 23 years.

In her recent career, Anahat Singh secured nine PSA Tour titles in 2024. This equaled the earlier record held by Nicol David in 2010. As of May 2025, Anahat Singh is ranked 57th in the world’s top 100 squash players list. After winning the British Junior Open Under-17 title, Anahat qualified for the World Squash Championships. She thus became the youngest Indian to achieve this feat. Anahat Singh is currently mentored by Saurav Ghosal and coached by Grégory Gaultier and Stéphane Galifi. Anahat is currently India’s No. 1 female squash player.

Eyes on an Olympics medal

Anahat Singh’s next big target is the 2028 Olympics that will be held in Los Angeles. It will be the first time squash is included in the Olympics. With her dynamic skills and continuous improvements, Anahat Singh is a top contender to secure a medal at the 2028 Olympics.