National Squash Championship 2025: Delhi's Anahat Singh and Tamil Nadu's Velavan Senthilkumar Crowned Champions

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New Delhi, Aug 28: Velavan Senthilkumar and Anahat Singh emerged as national champions in the men's and women's categories respectively, on Thursday (August 28) as the HCL 81st National Squash Championship concluded on a high note at the Major Dhyan Chand National Stadium, New Delhi.

The tournament, returning to the capital after a seven-year gap, saw participation from over 300 players across 25 states. The championship carried a total prize purse of ₹8 lakh, with winners taking home ₹1,30,000 each and runners-up earning ₹75,000.

In the men's final, Tamil Nadu's Velavan Senthilkumar dethroned top seed and defending champion Abhay Singh in an electrifying four-game encounter, winning 11-8, 11-9, 4-11, 11-8. It was Velavan's second national crown, after his maiden title in 2023, and a long-awaited triumph against Abhay, having finished runner-up to him twice in the last three years.

Meanwhile, Delhi's teenage prodigy Anahat Singh claimed her third consecutive women's national title, sweeping past Goa's Akanksha Salunkhe in straight games 11-7, 11-6, 11-4. The 17-year-old, who lost the 2022 final to Joshna Chinappa, has since established herself as the undisputed queen of Indian squash, dominating the women's circuit with composure and maturity beyond her years.

The men's final was not just a clash of skills but also a reflection of the evolving camaraderie between the two players. "It's been a great week. I had to take it day by day. It's just been a good week for sure. Like I said, all the matches were really good. All the matches were interesting and I'm glad I could win all the way through," Velavan said after sealing the crown.

Speaking about his long-standing rivalry and friendship with Abhay, Velavan (27) added, "This is the fourth nationals that we are competing in the final against each other. Every single year, it's a different game. Both of our games are really evolving. We are both supporting each other, making each other improve and giving us the motivation to keep going higher and higher."

Anahat Singh maintains supremacy in women's circuit

Ranked 46 in the world, Anahat entered the final with both confidence and caution, knowing well the history of close battles between her and Akanksha. "I always have really tough games with her. We always have at least 3-1s, 3-2s. Coming into the match, I knew it was going to be tough. It's the final, so obviously she's going to put in her 100%. But I've been happy with the way I've been playing this week and I know that I've been playing well. So I was quite confident coming into today," she said.

The Delhi-born starlet, however, admitted that her preparation wasn't ideal due to a lingering ankle issue. "Coming into the tournament, I was a bit iffy because of my ankle. So I wasn't really training too much. I was just practising my shots and not really moving around too much. I played well in my first few matches here as well, even though they were comparatively easier. Yesterday's match (semi-final against Tanvi Khanna) gave me a lot more confidence coming into today because I hadn't really played such a hard and tough match even in practise for quite a few weeks," Anahat explained further.

In the Pro Coach category, Uttar Pradesh's Atul Kumar Yadav edged out Tamil Nadu's Matthew Godwin to clinch the title. The prestigious Best Player awards went to Yash Fadte and Tanvi Khanna.

Roshni Nadar Malhotra, Chairperson of HCLTech, and Anil Wadhwa, President of SRFI, felicitated the winners. Organised by the HCL Group in collaboration with the Squash Rackets Federation of India (SRFI), under the aegis of the Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports and the Sports Authority of India, the championship also acted as a selection platform for the upcoming Men's and Women's World Team Championships in Hong Kong, December 2025.