Anahat Singh scripted history on Thursday, becoming the youngest title winner at the Senior National Squash Championships, sealing a win against her opponent Tanvi Khana, who was forced to retire midway through the match due to injury. Anahat, who is 15-years-old is 12 years younger than Khanna, and lost the opener 9-11. But she staged a fightback in the second game and led 6-4, until Khanna suffered a knee injury. Soon, Khana retired due to it, as Anahat became the youngest title winner in 23 years.
Joshna Chinappa holds the record for being the youngest champion in India, when she bagged the first of her record 19 national titles at the age of 14 in 2000. Anahat lost to Chinappa in last year’s final and this was her second appearance at the tournament.
At the age of 14, she was the youngest athlete to represent India at the 2022 Commonwealth Games. She bagged a team bronze ad mixed doubles bronze at the 2023 Asian Games.
During CWG 2022, she defeated Jada Ross of St Vincent and the Grenadines in the opening round. Meanwhile, both she and Khanna were part of the Asiad squad this year, as India clinched a women’s team bronze. She also clinched mixed doubles bronze with Abhay Singh. In the men’s National Championship final, Abhay lost to Velavan Senthilkumar 10-12 3-11 10-12,