India's top-ranked squash player Anahat Singh expects the 2028 Los Angeles Games to be the primary focus for every player over the next two years as the sport makes its Olympic debut there. Winning a medal at the Olympics is the dream of every player, Anahat said here on Tuesday.
“It’s obviously very exciting. It is the first time that it is a part of the Olympics and all the athletes have been really looking forward to it,” Anahat said during a pre-tournament press conference for the JSW Indian Open.
"Before this, the biggest event one could play was maybe the Commonwealth Games, but now the Olympics is there, and it's of course, every athlete's dream to go and play in the Olympics and win a medal. For the next few years, that is going to be everyone's aim and in the long run, that is going to be on my mind as well, to make sure that I'm able to train up to the Olympics and possibly get a medal for the country,” she said.
The JSW Indian Open is a PSA Copper event which will provide players an opportunity to earn ranking points while building momentum towards the Asian Games later this year. India's second highest ranked male player Ramit Tandon said the inclusion of the sport into the Olympic programme has also attracted corporates.
“Olympics is the biggest sporting event in the world, so it's everyone's dream to be there. Apart from that, what our sport has benefited from is JSW and other corporates getting on board after it has gone into the Olympics,” he said.
"We're having tournaments like this, which would not have happened if squash wasn't in the Olympics. So the entire squash ecosystem has seen a massive change after it's made to the Olympics,” Tandon said.
He said that while playing in the Indian Open will bring some comfort, the squash players are also keeping an eye on the war situation in the Middle East. “This is at home, so it's very convenient for us. The next tournament I'm playing is in London right after this. As of now, the flight is not cancelled, so it depends on how the war goes,” Tandon said.
“In terms of preparation, the World Championships is in Cairo, which is an affected area. We have been getting e-mails from the PSA, saying that they're keeping a close watch. They're going to be looking at shuffling around the dates a little bit as well. There's a bit of uncertainty when it comes to our planning, but obviously Asian Games is going to be the focus. We all want to peak for it, especially because it's a qualification criteria for the Olympics as well,” Tandon added.
Anahat said she is focusing on one tournament at a time and would look to do one better at the Asian Games, having won two bronze medals in 2023. “There's a lot of tournaments on the way before the Asian Games. I'm just trying to take you one step at a time, firstly focus on this one and then the upcoming ones,” she said.
Also read: Anahat wins maiden PSA Bronze-level title
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