India’s Anahat Singh, the women’s top seed at the World Squash Junior Championships, began the tournament impressively by defeating Australia’s Lilly Wilson in straight games. Anahat Singh aims to become India’s first junior world champion. Another Indian player, Saanvi Kalanki, secured her spot in the next round after a challenging five-game match against Elcke Mols from the Netherlands.
Kalanki initially took the lead but faced a tough battle as Mols fought back, forcing a decisive fifth game. Despite the intense competition, Kalanki emerged victorious with an 11-6 win in the final game. Additionally, Anika Dubey claimed a straightforward victory over Japan’s Anna Kuwahara, while Rudra Singh advanced due to a walkover against Khadija Abdulraheem of Nigeria.
In the men’s category, Aryaveer Dewan, Yusha Nafees, and Gurveer Singh progressed to the third round of the men’s singles after receiving a first-round bye. Aryaveer defeated Levi Visser of Germany, Yusha secured a dominant win over Matheus Frabetti from Brazil, and Gurveer triumphed over Christian Dromgoole of Ireland. However, Purav Rambhia faced defeat against England’s Ronnie Hickling.
The defending men’s champion and top seed, Mohamad Zakaria, initiated his campaign with a comprehensive victory over Wu Cheok Io from Macau, China. Zakaria aims to secure his third title, aiming to be the first men’s player to achieve this feat. The World Squash Junior Championships 2026 will feature individual competitions from July 20 to 25, followed by the men’s and women’s team events from July 26 to 31 at the same venue.
India’s men’s team enters the competition after clinching bronze in Cairo last year, breaking a 13-year medal drought at the championships.
