India Wins Squash World Cup for the First Time; 17-Year-Old Anahat Singh Clinches Gold, Defeats Hong Kong

Chennai (The Uttam Hindu): Sunday marked a historic moment for Indian sports as the Indian squash team won the Squash World Cup 2025 for the first time. Playing on home soil at Chennai’s Express Avenue Mall, India delivered a dominant performance in the final, defeating Hong Kong without giving the opponents any chance to stage a comeback. With this victory, India etched its name among the elite nations to have lifted the prestigious World Cup trophy in squash.

The final began with experienced campaigner Joshna Chinappa in women’s singles. Using her vast experience, she defeated world No. 37 Lee Ka Yi 3–1, giving India an early 1–0 lead. Her win set the tone for the team. In the men’s singles, India’s top-ranked player Abhay Singh followed up with an aggressive display, beating Alex Lau in straight sets 3–0 to extend India’s lead to 2–0 and push the team closer to the title.

The historic triumph was sealed by 17-year-old rising star Anahat Singh. Under pressure in the decisive match, Anahat showed remarkable composure and skill, defeating world No. 31 Tomato Ho 3–0. Her victory confirmed India’s gold medal, making the fourth match unnecessary. This win was particularly significant as India had settled for a bronze medal in the 2023 edition, but this time remained unbeaten throughout the tournament to claim the championship.

Seeded second, the Indian team did not lose a single match in the competition. In the group stage, India thrashed Switzerland and Brazil 4–0, followed by convincing knockout wins over South Africa and two-time champions Egypt by 3–0 in the semifinals. With this title, India became the fourth country after Australia, England and Egypt to win the Squash World Cup. Coming just ahead of squash’s inclusion in the Los Angeles 2028 Olympics, this global victory is being seen as a major milestone for Indian players.