How World Junior Squash Champion Anahat Singh Carries the Legacy of a Sacred Name

The name of India's rising squash star, Anahat Singh, carries a deep spiritual connection that dates back to the day of her birth. Derived from the sacred scriptures of Sikhism, her name has transitioned from a morning prayer to the global stage of international sports.

On March 13, 2008, Gursharan Singh was in a hospital room reading the Japji Sahib, the opening composition of the Guru Granth Sahib composed by Guru Nanak. He came across a specific line that appears at the end of four consecutive stanzas, Pauris 28, 29, 30, and 31: "Aad aneel anaad anaahat jug jug ayko vays." Translated, the phrase means, "The One is primal, stainless, without beginning, self-existent (unstruck), and the same throughout all ages."

The word "anaahat" refers to an unstruck, unbeaten sound that exists without being produced by collision. Struck by the word, Gursharan suggested it to his wife, Tani Vadera Singh, as the name for their newborn daughter. The family had no grand plans for her future athletic career at the time, but the name would eventually prove fitting for her historic achievements.

A Household Built on Sports

Anahat grew up in a highly active sporting family where athletic participation was valued equally with academic pursuits. Her mother, Tani, represented Delhi in hockey at the sub-junior and junior levels, while her father, Gursharan, played hockey for St. Stephen's College before focusing on his academic career. Her uncle, Deepak Vadera, was previously one of India's top table tennis players.

The sporting tradition continued with the next generation. Anahat's older sister, Amira, initially played tennis before transitioning to squash. Anahat herself began her sporting journey in badminton at the age of six. At just five years old, she had already expressed a desire to become an Olympic champion, though she originally envisioned achieving this in badminton.

Eventually, Anahat followed her sister's footsteps into squash. Her father, despite having never played squash himself, taught himself the sport so he could assist her coaches and help train her. The family initially approached the sport as a fun, recreational activity without anticipating the international success that would follow.

The Transition to Elite Competition

The family's perspective shifted when Anahat qualified for the Commonwealth Games squad at the age of 13. According to her mother, this milestone marked the moment where recreational play began to share space with serious competitive expectations.

Anahat made her international debut for India at the 2022 Commonwealth Games when she was 14 years old. By the age of 16, she had secured medals at the Asian Games and successfully transitioned to the senior circuit, earning a spot inside the world's top 20 rankings.

A Historic World Junior Championship

At 18 years old, Anahat achieved a historic milestone by becoming the first Indian player to win the World Junior Squash Championship. Competing in Niagara-on-the-Lake, Canada, she secured the title by defeating Egypt's Ruqayya Salem 3-0 in the final match.

Anahat's dominant run through the tournament saw her win the championship without dropping a single game. During her campaign, she defeated three Egyptian players, interrupting a dominant streak where Egyptian athletes had claimed the world junior title for 16 consecutive years. Prior to Anahat's victory, the last non-Egyptian player to win the tournament was American Amanda Sobhy in 2010.