Anahat Singh clinched her maiden World Junior Squash Championships medal, a bronze, after she lost 0-3 to Egypt’s Nadien Elhammamy in straight games in the semifinals of the 2025 edition on Friday in New Cairo.
The 17-year-old Indian was no match for the local player as Anahat lost 6-11, 12-14, 10-12.
Anahat had become the first Indian girl to reach the semifinals since Dipika Pallikal in 2010, and would have become only the second Indian to reach the final in the women’s individual category — Joshna Chinappa reached the summit clash in 2005 — had she beaten Elhammamy.
In the quarterfinals, Anahat beat Egypt’s Malika Elkaraksy 11-6, 13-11, 11-5. “I’m really, really happy right now. The World Juniors is something really special to me, but I’d lost in the quarters for three years in a row and I’m really glad I was able to reach the semi-finals this time. Egyptians are dominating right now, and even though [Elkaraksy] is still really young, she’s such a good player,” she said after the match.
Earlier in the month, Anahat won the gold medal in the Girls Under-19 category at the Asian Junior Individual Championships. In June, she partnered with Joshna to clinch gold in the women’s doubles at the Asian Squash Doubles Championships.
In May, the teenager also made her debut at the senior World Championships where she beat USA’s Marina Stefanoni in the first round before bowing out in the second round with a loss against Egypt’s Fayrouz Aboelkheir.
She also bagged two awards at the PSA Awards 2024-25, winning the Women’s Challenger Player of the Season and sharing the Women’s Young Player of the Season title with Amina Orfi of Egypt.
