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Abhay Singh, one of India’s finest squash players, went from almost quitting the sport in 2021 to winning two medals at the Asian Games in Hangzhou last year. The 25-year-old has already had a successful career, but the Indian squash star plans to stay on the scene at least till the 2028 Olympics.
In an exclusive interview with Sportskeeda, Abhay spoke about the lack of depth in Indian squash, his junior days, and his rivalry with Velavan Senthilkumar. He also shed some light on his decision to quit the sport and the reasons for making a comeback.
Reflecting on the state of Indian squash, Abhay emphasized the significant gap beyond the top five players in the country. He also stressed the necessity of nurturing new talents to fill the void.
"I think after the top 5 in India, there is a huge, huge, huge gap in the level, in the difference in squash," Abhay remarked. "Yeah, that is the top 4, and Veer (Chotrani) being the 5th. I think after Veer, I can't even tell you who is number 6.”
The Asian Games medalist also expressed the need for fresh talent to invigorate the Indian squash scene. He added:
“There is a huge gap, and that gap needs to be filled in all honesty. I mean, we are fortunate to have Vela (Velavan Senthilkumar), me, and Veer (Chotrani) at a young age. But it will be nice to have some new players in the mix.”
Delving into his junior days, Abhay recalled his journey from being ranked between 7 and 10 in the country before the age of 16 to eventually becoming the number one in the under-19 category. Despite his late surge in success, Abhay's decision to turn professional was solidified by his achievements towards the end of his junior career. He added:
“Yeah, I think I wasn't the best junior until I was probably 16, or 17. I think before 16, I was probably somewhere between 7 and 10 in the country. I think when I got to, you know, 16, 17, I was top 4, and then, you know, I just kind of started gradually stepping up that ladder.
"I was then number one in the under-19s in my last year as a junior. It was nice to sort of captain the team at the World Junior Championships. I think I'm one of the only few Indians to make the top eight in the World Juniors. So, all of that came very late.”
Abhay further opened up on his decision to become a professional:
“The British Open final in 2017 in the under-19s. So that was a bit of success, if you want to call it, towards the end, and I think that sort of made the decision of wanting to become a professional somewhat easier.”
Discussing his rivalry with Velavan Senthilkumar, Abhay recounted their encounters both in junior tournaments and as professionals.
“Yeah, I think in the juniors, towards the end of the juniors, we played maybe twice," Abhay added. "I think we played in the National Championship Final in 2016. A few months later, we played in the British Open, and he beat me both those times. I mean, he was notably one of the best juniors that have come out of Indian squash."
Their paths diverged briefly as Senthilkumar pursued higher education in the United States while Abhay embarked on a professional career. However, their rivalry resumed when Senthilkumar returned to the scene post-graduation. This time, Abhay emerged triumphant in their encounters.
"I think post that, we both took different paths," Abhay said. "He went to university abroad in America; I chose to go pro. And then, I mean, of course, once he graduated and came back into the scene, we've played a lot more. I think we played four times in 2022. I was fortunate to win all of them. I think just having that experience as a pro and being more experienced in the bigger matches did help.”
Despite being rivals in the singles category, the two had an incredibly successful partnership in the doubles event. Abhay also highlights Senthilkumar’s talent and the mutual support they offer each other on tour:
“In terms of obviously being in the doubles with him, it was a great experience. He's a great partner, you know. Like I think we've, we went out there for the first time and beat the guys who were seeded number three in the world. We were very close to moving into the semis, which unfortunately didn't happen.
"And so yeah, I mean, he's certainly a very talented player, and it is very important to have someone of that age, of a similar ranking, keeping you on your toes. I think we both push each other to do better. And it's also very nice to have that support from him and give it to him as well when we're at events together.”
Reflecting on Senthilkumar’s recent successes, Abhay expressed optimism for their future collaborations on the tour. He explained:
"With me being at the Asian Games and him not, and I just feel like maybe when it came to the selection trials and stuff, I'm going back to saying the same thing again, but my experience in the bigger matches just let me replicate those emotions and let me keep myself together in those situations."
The Chennai-born added:
“Now he's back on tour, and he's doing very, very well. He's had a great 23 (2023), which I'm very happy to see. Because he was struggling a bit to find good results, even though he was much better than the players he was playing. So yeah, it's exciting, and hopefully you know we team up together for a long time, and you know, we keep going on tour because it's nice to have, you know, another Indian playing the same events you do."
Abhay Singh opens up on his decision to almost quit the sport
Abhay Singh contemplated quitting the sport in 2021 due to a lack of clarity and progress in his career. Feeling stagnated and unable to perceive any improvement, he contemplated stepping away from squash.
“I think the decision firstly came from not having clarity on where I'm going in my sport," Abhay said. "I think I hit a very hard wall in terms of not being able to progress not just in the rankings but also as a squash player. I think I stopped feeling any sort of improvement or progress. I mean, if you at least feel the improvement in the game and the rankings don't move, that will certainly happen at some point, so that was the thought process behind wanting to stop.”
It was only after a conversation with his team and the prospect of participating in the Commonwealth Games trials that Abhay decided to embark on a comeback journey. The Commonwealth Games trials served as a turning point for him reigniting his passion for the sport and paving the way for his resurgence.
"The Commonwealth Games trials were around three-four months away, and you know, I just sort of had a conversation with my team, and they said, maybe it'll be a nice shot to just play the selections and see how that goes," Abhay explained the catalyst for his comeback. And yeah, that sort of started off the whole, you know, like, I mean, whatever you want to call it, a comeback or, yeah, just made going on very easy."
