When Abhay Singh defeated squash World No 5 and 2016 World champion, Egyptian Karim Gawad, on a glorious September day at the Qatar Classic, his mind had started whirring towards a challenge 12 months away. A crackling rivalry with Pakistan.
The year-long countdown to the Nagoya Asian Games next September has started. And though Singh is now the highest-ranked Indian on the PSA circuit, had scalped World Nos 17 and No 5 in the last few months, and is easing into the Platinum grade top-tier squash events, the Chennaiite knows the Pakistan clash beckons from the horizon.
To revise memories, Singh went down a tunnel of embarrassment and darkness when he lost in the individual groups at Hangzhou, cursing himself for letting his teammates down at the 2022 Asiad. The turnaround time to redemption was three evenings away, as he won a crucial team event decider against Pakistan.
Story continues below this ad
The chirping in those three days on social media and a throwaway “aaj India ko buri tarah se haraenge” comment had famously flared him up, guiding him to that historic gold.
There was no hatred at the outset, but Singh says he took social media scribbles personally. “It became a bigger deal because of the nonsense that went on, and their players had a lot to say. I wanted to win because we’d have to hear a lot if we didn’t. So I took it personally and decided that every time there’s a team event, we will not lose. We see it in cricket and I know you can’t get caught up in this if you want to win,” he says about needing to stay clinical. “But it brought out a different side of me.”
Pakistan last won a squash individual gold in 1998 and men’s team in 2010, and the sport in a nation that boasted colossals like Jahangir and Jansher Khan, has been on the wane. It’s the dissonance from what was once a great legacy (in men), that annoyed Singh. “Look, cricket, hockey, squash, you can’t be delusional when playing India and say stuff while you are always losing,” he says.
But there’s hardly any scope for being complacent, and also no lingering cartoonish hatred when their paths cross on the professional tour, though the Pakistan strutting has ended, he notes. “Now, when I meet them on Tour, there’s a lot of mutual respect. And at the doubles this summer, they were unexpectedly tough to beat and gave a good fight. So it’s going to be harder than last time. You have no clue how sharp that rivalry will get. Noor Zaman is in incredible form, Ashab Irfan has a few wins against our guys. Whatever the scenario, I’m up for it,” says the World No 26.
Story continues below this ad
For a serious athlete though, life can’t revolve around Pakistan. There’s the world to beat, even if it inevitably looks like a gold medal showdown again in Nagoya, Japan at the upcoming Asiad in 2026.
While last season it offered Singh a breakthrough, moving up ranks from 70s to 50s, and now 30s, his pre-season work had ensured he was moving freely on court, and the accuracy was spot on. “I told a few people I sense a Top 30 win coming. It gave me confidence that I can be in Top 20 pretty soon myself,” he says, having manifested his career-high rank, within five events.
The late Malcolm Willstrop gave Singh the confidence he belonged, and his son James, now his coach, has helped him find equanimity beyond navigating pace and persistence in rallies.
Singh is notoriously self-flagellating – as squash pros tend to be – and went through dark phases. “Winning-losing has an impact. The world feels like a good place when you win, but negatives can feel like pits. Few losses sting, some you bury, others like losing the India Open final (to Karim El Torkay) or the Nationals, you keep revisiting, thinking could’ve done this or that. They keep you awake and can be compared to bad breakups. They don’t sit well,” he recalls, adding Willstrop taught him to separate sport from his personal life.
Story continues below this ad
“James says I’m not here just to compete with India guys (and be India No 1). I don’t want to be at events to play just first round,” he says. The circuit is a wringer, but the Asian Games and Pakistan challenge is never out of focus. He can’t wait to get cracking, aiming for that golden balance – being strong and calm.
