India’s squash prodigy Anahat Singh etched her name in the British Junior Open history books with a runner-up finish in the girls’ U-17 division, despite a gallant loss to top-seeded Amina Orfi. The high-octane final encapsulated the spirit of junior squash, blending youthful exuberance with tactical mastery.
Anahat, training under the Squash Rackets Federation of India, dominated preliminaries. Her straight-sets quarter-final rout of Hong Kong’s Yoyo Ng (11-4, 11-6, 11-8) set the tone, followed by a clinical semi-final dismissal of England’s Amelia Paul 11-7, 11-9, 11-5. Unbeaten until the final, expectations soared.
Against Orfi, the battle ignited immediately. Anahat’s court craft secured game one 11-9 amid cheers from the Indian contingent. Orfi’s booming drives leveled it 11-7 in game two. Anahat’s nifty nick shots clinched the third 12-10, forcing a decider.
Legs heavy, Anahat conceded the fourth 11-5. The fifth was pure adrenaline: 5-5, 8-8, 10-10. Orfi’s killer instinct won the final two points, 12-10. Anahat’s achievement vaults her up junior rankings, complementing her WSF world No. 3 status.
Coaches highlight her mental growth: from trailing to leading multiple games. ‘Experience gained here is priceless,’ said national coach Mike Lee. Anahat eyes the South Asian Juniors next, vowing, ‘Gold is coming soon.’ This near-miss underscores India’s investment in squash infrastructure paying dividends, with Anahat leading the charge.