Shaurya Bawa has etched his name in Indian squash history by becoming only the second Indian male to reach the semifinals of the World Junior Squash Championships, following in the footsteps of Kush Kumar, who achieved the feat in 2014.
The 18-year-old from Delhi, seeded 17/32, showcased remarkable resilience in the boys’ quarterfinals, battling against Malaysia’s Low Wa-Sern.
After a nail-biting encounter that lasted 80 minutes, Bawa emerged victorious with scores of 2-11, 11-4, 10-12, 11-8, and 12-10, ensuring India a spot on the medal podium.
In a dramatic fifth game, Bawa was down 6-9 and faced match balls at 7-10.
However, his tenacity shone through as he saved three match balls to clinch the win, collapsing to the court in disbelief as the magnitude of his achievement set in.
Bawa will now face Egypt’s top-seed Mohamed Zakaria in the semifinals, where he hopes to continue his impressive run.
On a less favorable note, fellow Indian Anahat Singh (seeded 5/8) exited the tournament in the girls’ quarterfinals for the third consecutive year.
The 16-year-old national champion fought hard against Egypt’s Nadien Elhammamy, eventually losing in a tense five-set match with scores of 11-8, 11-9, 5-11, 10-12, and 13-11.
Elhammamy, who recently celebrated her 17th birthday, took an early 2-0 lead, effectively countering Singh’s aggressive play.
However, Singh rallied back, winning the third and fourth games to level the match.
Despite gaining a 10-8 advantage in the deciding game, Singh was unable to secure the win, as Elhammamy fought back to seal the match in a thrilling tie-break.
While Bawa progresses to the next round with hopes high for India, Singh’s exit marks another challenging chapter in her pursuit of junior squash success.
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