Pune's rising squash sensation Anika Dubey etched her name in the history books after winning the Junior National Squash Championship (U-19) title held in Chennai. At just 15 years of age, Anika became one of the youngest champions in the category and among the few players from Maharashtra to have ever lifted the prestigious trophy.

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'It Boosted My Confidence A Lot'

Anika expressed her delight at achieving the feat at such a young age, "It means a lot because I'm really happy that at 15, I won it," she told ANI. "It's really good because I feel much more confident now. Like, I feel like it boosted my confidence a lot. It made me realise that, yeah, I can actually take risks and I can play higher, even higher than under-19. Now, I can play in the seniors and I can try competing at higher levels," she added.

Mental Preparation for the Win

The teenager, trained under coach Abhinav Sinha at the Chance2Sports Foundation in Pune, defeated players older and more experienced than her throughout the competition. Sharing how she prepared mentally for the challenge, Anika credited her planning and composure. "So, I prepared with my coach. I started planning a lot. I planned extensively on my tactics against those people, considering how I would play against them and with my coach. I did a lot of planning. My coach and I did calls and stuff on it, and yeah, before the matches and stuff, I talked to him and discussed my game plans and stuff, and mostly, I just do meditation and stuff to handle my nervousness because I was feeling a bit more nervous than usual. After all, they were older," she noted.

Balancing Academics and Athletics

Anika is also juggling her studies as a Class 10 student preparing for board exams next year, a challenge she admits is not easy. "I think that it's after playing, trying to study because I have boards in February next year, 10th boards. So, studying for that. Sometimes, even after my matches, I would have to study or finish my homework and my projects. Since I am already tired, it becomes very hard for me to study. So, like my parents help with that a lot, they manage my schedule and then my stress and everything," she said.

Future Aspirations

Her focus now shifts to the senior and international circuit. "My next challenge would be to play women's since I won the under-19. I want to focus on women's and playing PSAs at the international level of juniors," Anika concluded.

A Landmark Season of Success

The 2025 season has already been a landmark year for Anika. She won bronze at the Asian Junior Individual Championship (U-17) and another bronze in the Asian Junior Team Championship (U-19). She also competed at the World Junior Championships (U-19), capping it off with her fourth consecutive national title. (ANI)