Anahat Singh and Abhay Singh have chosen to play only in doubles.
| Photo Credit: FILE PHOTO
The Squash Rackets Federation of India (SRFI) on Thursday announced the national teams for the Asian individual championships (June 17 to 21) and Asian doubles championships (June 23 to 26) in Sarawak, Malaysia.
Abhay Singh and Anahat Singh, India’s leading singles players, have chosen to play only in doubles. The duo won the mixed doubles title in the National doubles championships in Chennai recently. Abhay also clinched the men’s doubles title with Velavan Senthilkumar while Anahat won the women’s doubles crown partnering Joshna Chinappa.
Speaking to The Hindu here on Thursday, Cyrus Poncha, Secretary of SRFI, said, ”In the beginning itself, we had a discussion with them (Abhay & Anahat) and their priority was to play the doubles event.”
The SRFI insisted that it has gone by the rule book when it came to selecting the teams. “For Asian individuals, we have chosen the players who performed well in the trials and in doubles, we have selected all those who finished in the top two in the Chennai Nationals. All, as per the guidelines that SRFI had issued in November last year in its website,” Cyrus added.
The teams: Asian individual championships: Men: Velavan Senthilkumar, Suraj Chand, Rahul Baitha, Diwakar Singh.
Women: Akansha Salunkhe, Joshna Chinappa, R. Pooja Arthi, Shameena Riaz.
Asian doubles championships: Men: Abhay & Velavan; Ravi Dixit & Guhan Senthilkumar.
Women: Anahat Singh & Joshna Chinappa; Pooja Arthi & S. Rathika.
Mixed: Abhay & Anahat; Velavan & Joshna.
Published – May 29, 2025 08:18 pm IST