India’s campaign at the prestigious British Open Squash Championships continued with a blend of success and disappointment on Saturday. While Abhay Singh and Veer Chotrani produced impressive victories to advance to the second round of the PSA Diamond event in Birmingham, Ramit Tandon and teenage sensation Anahat Singh were unable to progress further.
Abhay Singh, currently ranked World No. 24, looked in complete control during his opening-round clash against Colombia’s Matias Knudsen. The Indian star wrapped up the contest in straight games, winning 11-8, 11-5, 11-4 to comfortably book his place in the next stage.
Veer Chotrani, ranked World No. 44, delivered one of the standout performances among the Indians. Facing Pakistan’s higher-ranked Noor Zaman (World No. 29), Chotrani showed resilience after dropping the second game in a tiebreak before recovering strongly to claim an 11-8, 12-14, 11-6, 11-7 victory. The result added another notable win to Chotrani’s growing list of impressive performances this season.
The road ahead, however, becomes tougher for both Indians. Chotrani is set to face fifth seed Joel Makin of Wales, while Abhay will take on Egyptian seventh seed Mohamad Zakaria in the next round.
India’s experienced campaigner Ramit Tandon saw his tournament end in unfortunate fashion. The Indian was forced to retire during his match against France’s Auguste Dussourd. At the time of retirement, the score stood at 14-12, 4-7, bringing an abrupt end to his challenge in Birmingham.
In the women’s draw, all eyes were on 18-year-old Anahat Singh, one of India’s brightest squash prospects. The World No. 21 fought hard against Egypt’s Nardine Garas but eventually lost in four closely contested games. Garas secured the victory 11-8, 8-11, 11-8, 11-9, ending Anahat’s run in the tournament. Despite the defeat, the young Indian once again showed glimpses of the talent that has made her one of the fastest-rising names in international squash.
The results underline the growing strength of Indian squash on the global circuit. With players like Abhay Singh, Veer Chotrani, Ramit Tandon and Anahat Singh consistently competing at major PSA events, India continues to build momentum ahead of squash’s historic debut at the Los Angeles 2028 Olympics.
Key Results
Abhay Singh beat Matias Knudsen (Colombia) 11-8, 11-5, 11-4
Veer Chotrani beat Noor Zaman (Pakistan) 11-8, 12-14, 11-6, 11-7
Ramit Tandon retired against Auguste Dussourd (France) with the score at 14-12, 4-7
Nardine Garas (Egypt) beat Anahat Singh (India) 11-8, 8-11, 11-8, 11-9
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