Anahat Singh is an Indian squash player. She is known for winning many laurels at a very young age. In 2022, Anahat Singh became the youngest squash player to have represented India at the 2022 Commonwealth Games held in Birmingham.
Wiki/Biography
Anahat Singh was born on Thursday, 13 March 2008 (age 14 years; as of 2022) in New Delhi. Her zodiac sign is Pisces. She studied at British School, Chanakyapuri, Delhi.
Physical Appearance
Hair Colour: Black
Eye Colour: Dark Brown
Family
Parents & Siblings
Her father, Gursharan Singh, is a lawyer. Her mother, Tani Vadehra Singh, is an interior designer. Both, her mother and her father, were hockey players. Her elder sister, Amira Singh, is also a squash player.
Anahat Singh (second from right) with her parents and elder sister
Career
Anahat Singh’s affiliation with squash began when she was eight years old. Initially, she was interested in playing badminton, but after watching her elder sister, Amira, play squash, she too started playing squash. In an interview, Anahat once claimed that she initially did not have any intentions of taking squash as a professional sport, and it was only after winning several local tournaments that she decided to pursue a career in it. In an interview, she told,
I used to go along with my sister and hit for like 15-20 minutes but nothing serious because I was mainly pursuing badminton…my sister was playing a tournament in Bengal and I went along so I entered as well. But then I started actually doing well, I started practising a lot more. Badminton is a really popular sport I could have taken that up easily… but squash is something I enjoy a lot more. I need to do the thing I have the most fun with instead of something more popular.”
Initially, she was coached by her sister and after that, she was trained by national-level squash players such as Amjad Khan and Ashraf Hussein. In 2019, she participated in the British Open Squash Championships, her first international tournament, where she bagged a gold medal in the u-11 category. Later in 2019, Anahat Singh participated in the Asian Junior Squash Individual Championships and won a bronze medal. In 2020, she participated in the British Junior Open Squash Tournament and won a silver medal. Later in the same year, Anahat Singh took part in the Malaysian Junior Open Squash Tournament and bagged a silver medal. In December 2021, she participated in the US Junior Open Squash Championship, where she won a gold medal in the u-15 category. In the finals, she defeated the Egyptian squash player, Jayda Marel, by a margin of 3-1. Anahat became the first Indian female squash player to win the US Open Championship under any category.
Anahat Singh during her match in the US Junior Open Squash Championship
In early 2022, she participated in the Dutch Junior Open and German Junior Open and won gold medals in both tournaments. In June 2022, Anahat Singh participated in the Asian Junior Squash Championships in Thailand, where she won a gold medal in the u-15 category. In June 2022, she participated in the national selection camp in Chennai. There, she managed to defeat her opponents to become a part of the Indian squad for the 2022 Commonwealth Games at Birmingham. In an interview, she said,
I was shocked that I got selected because I didn’t think I would be able to make it, but I am extremely excited now. I was worried about being in the camp with such experienced players at first, but they were really very sweet and very helpful, they helped me get comfortable and fit right in.”
On 30 July 2022, she participated in her first senior-level match in the 2022 Commonwealth Games, where she defeated Jada Ross by a margin of 3-0.
Anahat Singh after winning her first match against Jada Rose
On 1 August 2022, Anahat Singh was defeated by Emily Whitlock by a margin of 3-1. In 2022, the Squash Rackets Federation of India (SRFI) announced that Anahat Singh would be participating in the World Juniors Squash Championships 2022 in Nancy, France.
Medals
- In 2019, Anahat Singh won a gold medal at the British Open Squash Championships in the u-11 category.
- In 2019, Anahat Singh won a bronze medal at the Asian Junior Squash Individual Championships.
- In 2020, Anahat Singh won a silver medal at the British Junior Open Squash Tournament.
Anahat Singh after winning a silver medal in the British Junior Open Squash Tournament
- In 2020, Anahat Singh won a silver medal at the Malaysian Junior Open Squash Tournament.
- In 2021, Anahat Singh won a gold medal in the US Junior Open Squash Championship in the u-15 category.
Anahat Singh after winning the US Junior Open Squash Championship
- In 2022, Anahat Singh won a gold medal in the Dutch Junior Open Tournament.
- In 2022, Anahat Singh won a gold medal in the German Junior Open Tournament.
Anahat Singh after winning the German Junior Open Tournament
- In 2022, Anahat Singh won a gold medal in the Asian Junior Squash Championships in the u-15 category.
Anahat Singh after winning the Asian Junior Squash Championship
Facts/Trivia
- Anahat Singh idolizes P. V. Sindhu, the ace badminton player. In an interview, Anahat once claimed that she initially took up badminton because of her only.
- In 2020, Anahat Singh was featured in the Paris 2024 Olympic promotion video for squash.
A still from the Paris 2024 Olympic promotion video for squash
- In 2022, Anahat Singh became Asia’s top u-15 squash player. Before this, Anahat was India’s top u-11 squash player as well as Asia’s and Europe’s top u-13 squash player.
- Anahat Singh is a part of the Virat Kohli Foundation (VKF); an NGO started by the Indian cricketer Virat Kohli to help and support budding athletes in India.
- In an interview, Anahat Singh expressed her desire to become a world champion and to play for the Professional Squash Association (PSA). She also said that she wanted to represent the nation in the Olympics when squash is accepted in the Olympics.
- Apart from winning several international titles, Anahat Singh has won 46 national circuit titles and two national championships.
