Anahat Singh Becomes First Indian to Enter World Junior Squash Final

Indian squash prodigy Anahat Singh has scripted history, becoming the first Indian to reach the World Junior Squash final, defeating Egypt's Barb Sameh 3-1 in the semi-final in Ontario, Canada.

The 18-year-old now stands one win away from an unprecedented milestone - becoming India's first-ever world junior champion. She will take on another Egyptian, Ruqayya Salem, in the title clash later today, with the match scheduled to begin around 10:30 PM IST.

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A Remarkable Run to the Final

Anahat's run to the final has been nothing short of remarkable. She booked her semi-final berth with a commanding 3-1 victory over Habiba Rizk in the quarter-finals. In doing so, she also became the first Indian to reach the semi-finals of the World Junior Championships in consecutive editions.

She had earlier claimed a historic bronze medal in the 2025 edition after a semi final loss to Nadien Elhammamy. This year, however, Anahat has gone a step further, underlining her rapid rise and consistency on the global stage.

World No. 20 Anahat, a bronze medal-winning semifinalist last year, is the firm favourite and just one step away from becoming India's first World Junior squash champion.

"I'm really happy. I played Barb a few months ago at the British Junior Open, and it was a close match like this, so I knew I'd have to play really well," Anahat was quoted as saying by PTI. "I didn't play my best yesterday, and I knew I had to come out today and show what I'm capable of producing on the court."

She added, "I've played in four World Juniors and lost in the quarters and semis, so reaching the final has made my parents and coaches really happy, but the tournament is not done yet."