Now Reading: Indian squash boom faces culture, training gaps
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Indian squash boom faces culture, training gaps
Veer Chotrani, India's world No. 38 squash player, told TimesofIndia.com that while the sport is gaining momentum after Anahat Singh became the first Indian to win the World Junior Squash Championship, structural…
The Story in Brief
Veer Chotrani, India's world No. 38 squash player, told TimesofIndia.com that while the sport is gaining momentum after Anahat Singh became the first Indian to win the World Junior Squash Championship, structural gaps remain. Chotrani, who started coaching at four, said squash's inclusion in the 2028 Olympics has drawn eyeballs. Four Indian men are in the world's top 60. However, none train in India because of a lack of top training partners and coaches. Chotrani pointed to Egypt's ecosystem, where young players learn alongside world-class athletes. He also cited India's academic-focused culture as a barrier to nurturing athletes.
The Indian Opinion
The celebratory narrative around Indian squash ignores a hard truth: talent is leaving the country to train abroad. When India's top four male players cannot find adequate training partners at home, medals won overseas do not signal a healthy domestic ecosystem. The real test will be whether government funding translates into a self-sustaining system with foreign coaches and psychologists under one roof. Until a top-ranked Indian trains entirely within India, the boom remains a bubble.
Source: timesofindia.indiatimes.com
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