Anahat Singh puts Harvard plans on hold to chase LA 2028 dream; Olympic quota for India if she wins gold
Anahat Singh puts Harvard plans on hold to chase LA 2028 Olympic dream
Harvard can wait for Anahat Singh, LA 2028 cannot!
The 18-year-old world junior champion is taking a gap year to throw everything at the Asian Games 2026, which will be a qualifier for the upcoming Olympics.
Indian squash prodigy Anahat Singh has put her academic plans at the revered Harvard University on hold, choosing instead to focus on taking her game to the next level with the ultimate goal of winning an Olympic medal at LA 2028 .
The 18-year-old Indian squash player won the women’s title at the World Junior Squash Championships 2026 in Canada earlier this month, thereby ending a 15-year-long Egyptian stranglehold on the crown.
Anahat, who finished school only a couple of months ago, has spent much of her career splitting her time between international squash and studies. This year, she had originally planned to follow in her elder sister Amira’s footsteps and try enrolling at Harvard.
However, the title in Canada in her fifth and final attempt, which follows her bronze medal finish from last year’s junior worlds, has changed the teenager’s academic plans.
“I was supposed to go to college this year, but I decided to take a gap year because of the Asian Games coming up. And now I understand that this year is really important for me regarding squash and the build-up to the LA 2028 Olympics ,” Anahat Singh told PTI.
“So, yeah, I mean, just focusing on this year, outside of school, because I’ve been doing that for the last 12 years (smiles). I’m just focusing on squash for a year and just making sure that I’m at my peak going into LA 28,” she added.
Anahat’s emergence comes at an opportune moment with squash set to make its Olympic debut at LA 2028.
The upcoming Asian Games 2026 in Japan’s Aichi-Nagoya will also serve as a continental qualifier for LA 2028, with one quota per gender on offer.
Consequently, a singles gold in Japan would see Anahat earn a direct Olympic quota for India. As India’s top-ranked women’s player currently at world No. 20, she will also be the favourite to fill up the quota should she earn it.
Topping the Asian Games podium, however, will be a tough ask. Currently, two Asian players are ahead of Anahat in the PSA rankings with Malaysia’s Sivasangari Subramaniam at world No. 5 and Japan’s Satomi Watanabe at six.
However, her run to the world junior title, which featured wins over three Egyptians - traditionally considered the ultimate powerhouses in the sport - has left the youngster believing she can rattle the very best.
“It (the win at world juniors) definitely adds a lot to my confidence to get into this event. I mean, if I didn’t win, it wouldn’t really make much of a difference, but it definitely puts me on a high now,” Anahat said.
“I’ve played almost every single player that will be there in the Asian Games, and I know what to expect. So, just going back home and focusing on that. If I have a shot at getting a chance to be a part of the Olympics in almost two months, I think that will be a dream come true,” said Anahat.
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