After creating history for India and amid a gap year before college, what is next for Anahat?

NEW DELHI: "It felt really unreal. I felt like I was dreaming. I still feel like I'm dreaming." That's how Anahat Singh described the moment the Indian flag went up after she became the first Indian ever to win the World Junior Squash Championship.She carried that same disbelief during the virtual media interaction facilitated by the Sports Authority of India (SAI) on Monday, unwilling to let the moment inflate into something bigger than it was.Asked how she balances the expectations now piling up around her, Anahat reached straight for something her parents had drilled into her long before the trophies started arriving."You don't have to think too much about what other people expect from you," she said. "Just go into play and focus on the amount of training I've done and my game rather than everything else behind it."The tournament she'd just won gave it teeth. This was the 18-year-old's last shot at the junior title after failing in knock-outs at the previous editions. "I've been really, really close to reaching the finals, and I've been leading, and I've lost after leading," she admitted. "Being able to handle that well in this tournament, and making sure that same mistake doesn't happen again, is something I'm glad about."Did she care about the Egyptian storyline?The tournament's built-in narrative was hard to ignore. The Delhi teenager became the first non-Egyptian to win the title in 16 years. She also beat three Egyptian players back-to-back on her way to the final.However, it was just the storyline she wasn't interested in playing along with. "Whether it's an Egyptian or any other nationality, a match is still a match," she admitted with a smile on her face. "I don't really like to think too much about the statistics or the history, because sometimes that can affect you negatively."I knew coming into this tournament that it was my last opportunity to win it," she said. "I don't think I would have played this freely if it wasn't my last year."The motivation that comes from off the courtWhether she is trailing or cruising in a match, she always peeks through the glass. "I have a habit of looking out of the court a lot, whether it comes naturally or unnaturally, it's just something I've always done since I've been a little kid," she revealed.What does she look for, though? "If I ever look out, it's always my parents or my coaches. They are always pushing me and just saying like, 'Keep going, keep going.' I think especially when there's a lot of pressure in events like this, it makes a huge difference in getting more confidence." Besides parents, two names stand out in her support system. Gregory Gaultier, the former world No. 1, and Saurav Ghosal, India's own squash pioneer, both of whom Anahat credits with sharpening her consistency over the past years.What is next for Anahat?Anahat, who comes from a sporting family that has always believed sport is as important as academics, has already graduated from school and was set to begin college this year, but a packed competition schedule leading up to the Los Angeles 2028 Olympics has prompted her to take a gap year.Before that, though, the Asian Games later this year loom even larger. A gold medal there offers direct qualification for squash's Olympic debut at Los Angeles 2028."Asian Games alone is a huge deal, whether or not the Olympics was a part of the picture or not. But the fact that there's the Olympics, I'd just say it's an added bonus, and I'm just going to give it my 100%," she said, while also stressing that the direct qualification route would not add to the pressure."There are many other ways to get into the Olympics as well. So, in that way, it's not too much pressure," she stated.Speaking of the Olympics, Anahat can take a leaf out of her idol and two-time Olympic medallist PV Sindhu's book. Although she admittedly has never met the shuttler in person, the veteran she idolised long before making a switch to squash from badminton herself publicly praised her win in Canada."I've been going and watching her matches since I was almost four years old," Anahat, who is set to return to Delhi to train over the next month, said. " I'm really glad that I was able to catch her attention... Not everyone gets this opportunity to play at the world stages of sport."ALSO READ: Anahat Singh: What is in the name? A word from Guru Nanak's prayer, now India's squash sensationGet the latest Sports News and Live updates. Download the TOI app.

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