Mumbai: It was an evening of celebration for Indian squash fans as local heroes Abhay Singh and Anahat Singh won the men’s and women’s titles respectively on the final day of the JSW Indian Open 2026 at the CCI here on Sunday.
The men’s title bout was an all-Indian bout with second seed Abhay defeating fourth seed Veer Chotrani 3-0 (11-9, 11-8, 11-4). Young sensation Anahat Singh defeated Hana Moataz of Egypt 3-1 (11-5, 11-6, 9-11, 11-6) in the women’s final.
Parth Jindal, Founder and Managing Director, JSW Sports, said, “The JSW Indian Open is steadily evolving into a world-class tournament. It is incredible to see the crowd and interest the sport is generating. This platform will only take Indian squash forward further. Over the last year, we have already seen tremendous progress in our players. Talents like Anahat and Abhay are leading this push on the global stage. They represent the future and it is exciting to watch their journey.” Overall, the goal is to continue to expand this ecosystem and advance Indian pumpkin even further.”
Abhay was in excellent form in the men’s final. Although Chotrani put up a spirited fight in the first two games, the second-placed team stepped up a gear as the game progressed.
The opening game was a hard-fought battle with every point fiercely contested. Abhay Singh eventually prevailed in the back-and-forth game, winning the opening game 11-9 and taking the lead.
The second game followed a similar scenario, with each point featuring long rallies that captivated the spectators. However, Abhay managed to fend off an intense attack from his compatriot, winning 11-8 and extending his lead.
Abhay increased the intensity in the third game, with Chotrani struggling to read his deceptive angles and powerful shots. The runner-up won the game 11-4 and won the title.
On winning the JSW Indian Open 2026, Abhay Singh (Indian No. 2) said, “I’m really happy to have won the tournament. Indian squash is very healthy at the moment, four men are in the top 50, Anahat is topping the charts in the Women’s World Championships. Of course, the LA Olympics is the individual goal, but we all have a big year ahead of us and have to defend gold. As much as we compete against each other on tour, this year is also about coming together, We are pushing ourselves each other and support each other to win gold in Japan.”
Anahat defeats Hana
Earlier, top seed Anahat Singh of India put in a stunning performance to outclass Hana Moataz of Egypt and clinch the women’s title.
Although the second-seeded Egyptian was a very experienced contender, the younger Anahat was in a league of her own. The top-seeded Indian showcased a deadly combination of deception and quick movement across the pitch, leaving her second-seeded opponent struggling to keep up with her pace.
During the first exchange, both opponents were equal and adjusted to each other. In the first game, the lead changed hands after almost every other rally before the Indian conceded six consecutive points to take an 11-5 lead.
Anahat continued her dominance in the second game and quickly built a comfortable 5-1 lead. Although Hana did her best to put up a strong fight, she could not keep up with the in-form Indian, who won the second game 11-6 and doubled the lead.
Although Hana was defeated in the first two games, she celebrated a courageous comeback in the third game and secured her place in the competition with a narrow result of 11:9.
The Egyptian tried to slow down the rallies to counteract her much faster Indian opponent, while benefiting from the difficult angles of her shots.
The loss in the third game seemed to break Anahat’s rhythm as Hanna set the pace. In the fourth game, the Egyptian took a 4-1 lead. To her credit, Anahat managed to recover and take a 5-4 lead before winning five consecutive points to win the game 11-6 and secure the title.
On the second consecutive win at the JSW Indian Open, Anahat Singh (India No. 1) said: “I think I played well in the first two games; in the third I got a little off track. Tell me to concentrate because I lose focus pretty quickly and when I lose two points in a row, I remind myself to stay motivated, focus on the next few points and get back in the game.
I really like how Hana played. She wasn’t feeling well last week, she reached the final yesterday after a tough one-hour fight and still put in a great performance. It’s amazing to see. I’m glad we were able to give the audience a good fight and hopefully everyone had fun watching.”
