Indian squash player Veer Chotrani produced one of the biggest performances of his career to keep India’s hopes alive at the World Squash Championships in Giza, Egypt.
Chotrani fought back brilliantly from 2-1 down to defeat fellow Indian Abhay Singh in a gripping five-game opening-round clash. The world No. 45 eventually sealed a memorable 3-2 victory with scores of 14-12, 8-11, 5-11, 11-7, 11-2.
The contest began with a tense opening game that Chotrani edged in a tie-break, but Abhay responded strongly by dominating the next two games to move within touching distance of victory.
However, Chotrani showed tremendous composure under pressure, raising his intensity in the fourth game before completely taking control in the decider, where he overwhelmed India’s top-ranked men’s player with aggressive shot-making and relentless pace.
Tough Challenge Awaits Against Mostafa Asal
The victory secured Chotrani a daunting second-round meeting against defending world champion and world No. 1 Mostafa Asal.
The Egyptian star remains one of the tournament favourites and will have strong home support in Giza, where the championships are being staged at the Palm Hills Club and PGC Golf Central Mall.
India’s Campaign Shrinks Further
India’s challenge suffered more setbacks on day two as Velavan Senthilkumar and Ramit Tandon bowed out of the tournament after difficult opening-round defeats.
The country had entered the championship with a four-member men’s contingent, while no Indian women competed in the main draw this year. Rising teenage sensation Anahat Singh missed the event despite qualifying earlier.
India are still chasing their first-ever singles medal at the World Squash Championships. Former world No. 10 Saurav Ghosal remains the country’s best performer historically after reaching the quarter-finals twice.
Squash Momentum Growing Ahead Of LA 2028
The tournament also carries added significance as squash prepares to make its Olympic debut at the 2028 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles.
India has enjoyed growing success in squash recently, including winning the Squash World Cup in 2025, raising hopes that Indian players can emerge as future Olympic medal contenders.
For now, all Indian attention in Giza shifts to Chotrani, who faces the biggest test of his career against world No. 1 Asal.
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