Interview with Abhay Singh: "The Indian squash academy has helped me improve my game"

Abhay Singh in action during the ISA Junior Open 2015

Abhay Singh is a young player to watch out for. The 16-year-old is making rapid strides on the squash circuit in India each passing year.

Abhay recently won the Boys Under-19 Championship at the Bengal Junior Open. He also won the Pune Junior Open and Salem Open earlier this year.

We did an exclusive interview with Abhay over email and asked him about his journey so far and his goals for the future.

Excerpts:

1. What made you take up squash?

My mom used to walk in the ground outside the Indian Squash Academy and attended many tournaments that were held there. Since the Academy is close to where I live, she took me there one day and I enrolled in School coaching and eventually came up.

2. Congrats on winning the Boys U-19 Championship at the Bengal Junior Open. What does this win mean to you?

Thank you. I had few goals this year and winning the Bengal Junior was one of them. I finished second in the Under-17 category last year, so going back there for the second time I really wanted to win. I worked really hard for it so this win means a lot to me.

3. What are the areas in your game that need improvement?

I was very fat not long ago. About a year back, my weight was 95 kgs which was really bad for a squash player. So I went to a nutritionist at Qua Nutrition in Chennai. I have been working on my fitness and muscle strength a lot over the past year and now my weight is 70kgs and i feel a lot stronger.

Abhay Singh has worked a lot on his fitness

Since I am quite fit and strong, I am working on my basic structure a lot. I worked a lot on my basic game with Major Maniam Sir and Bala Sir and it is showing in my game.

4. Tell us a bit about your coaches and their role in your success so far.

My coaches have been so supportive, they are my family. Every coach has played an important role in my life and nothing I could do will be enough to pay them back.

When it comes to helping players, they will go out of their comfort zone to make sure they do well. Over the past year, I have been under Kalimuthu,Hasrat and Bala Sir. They have helped me a lot on court and Major Maniam Sir and Cyrus Sir had helped me a lot mentally and tactically.

Aarthi Ma'am, our physiotherapist has always been there during our injuries to make sure we recover as soon as possible. They certainly cannot be replaced.

5. What are your goals for the rest of the year?

I will be playing for the Indian team for the first time this year at the Asian Juniors in Iran. So I want to put up a good show there and make my coaches proud. I also have a few Junior tournaments, one in Malaysia and Jodhpur and then the biggest tournament, the Junior Nationals. I really want to do well there.

I have been looking for sponsors, but it is a tough job finding them. Having sponsors will really make me motivated to do better in every tournament that I play. So I am hoping I can get some sponsors to support me.

6. Who are your rolemodels in world squash?

I really look up to Amr Shabana, his game is by far the best game I have witnessed. I still remember when he was here in Chennai, I was amazed by his game. Shabana has shown us that age is just a number. He is the Roger Federer of Squash.

7. How has Indian Squash Academy help you develop your game?

The Indian Squash academy is my second home. When I do not go there for a few days, I feel really Incomplete. The academy has some of the best facilities.

It has a Swimming Pool, Gym, Track and Field and an all-glass court which helps us improve every little aspect of our game. The coaches at the academy make sure you do not lack anything and push you harder everyday to make sure you get closer to your goals.

8. How do you manage your academics and squash?

I study in Lady Andal school in Chennai. My school is really supportive when it comes to submitting notes or taking tests. All the teachers have been really helpful. Sometimes if I take a day off,they call me and tell me what I have to complete so that way I can keep up with my classmates.

9. Parents must have encouraged you to pursue your passion in squash. Tell us about their support.

My parents have been very supportive when it comes to training or sending me to tournaments. They do not travel with me but when I play in Chennai or somewhere close to Chennai, they always try to watch.

I would not have been able to be where I am without them.

10. Have you interacted with top Indian players? How have they helped you in terms of improving your skills?

I usually talk to my seniors. Harinder Pal Singh Sandhu, Vijay Kumar and Deepak Misra have really helped me improve. They have the experience of squash at the top level so their advice really helped me a lot to improve the parts of my game that I lack.

Harinder is really someone to look up to. On and off court, he is a role model. His hardwork and dedication has motivated the Juniors at the academy. There is so much to learn by just watching him.

I always speak to him during training and he helps with every aspect of the game. Its good to have top players at the academy. They help us work harder everyday.

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Edited by Staff Editor