Suraj Chand has steadily emerged as one of the promising names in Indian squash, with his recent success at the FISU World University Squash Championships. With the Asian Games now firmly in his sights, Suraj is looking forward to building on that momentum as he prepares for one of the biggest assignments of his career.
While speaking exclusively to RevSportz, Suraj opens up about his FISU triumph, his preparations and expectations ahead of the Asian Games, and the growing stature of squash in India. He also reflects on his own journey and what it means to see squash finally set to make its Olympic debut at Los Angeles 2028.
Q: How did your interest in squash grow?
Suraj: Earlier, I used to play other racquet sports like tennis and table tennis. One day, I saw the squash court and went inside and tried it for the first time, and that’s how I got into the sport. I started in 2012 and played it for 2-3 years. Then I started playing more tournaments and grew into it.
Q: I was in Chennai when you had the Asian Games selection and I saw all the players walking out with their India jerseys. What was that moment for you personally?
Suraj: I’ve already played for India, but definitely, the Asian Games is something that every player wants to play for, and getting selected was a long-term goal for me.
I was really happy but, at the same time, I had that little nervousness inside me because when you play for India, it’s not easy. With the privilege, you also have a lot of pressure. You can’t go and lose matches. The day I got selected, I made sure that I trained double, and we have national camps going on.
Q: Recently, you had a historic win at the FISU World University Squash Championships and Anahat Singh has also won the World Junior Squash Championships. Do you think squash is growing in India?
Suraj: I definitely think squash in India is growing rapidly. After India won the World Cup last year in Chennai, and now Anahat winning the World Junior Championship and becoming the first Indian to do so, and after me getting the gold medal at the FISU, India is doing well in squash.
Definitely, a big thanks to our federation, SRFI, SAI and the government.
Q: Coming back to the Asian Games, is there something that you’re doing differently from what you’ve done before in terms of preparation?
Suraj: My training has changed a bit because I can’t just go with the same training schedule. I had a chat with my coaches and our national coach, Mr Harinderpal Singh Sandhu. I’ll go to Prague next week for training and then, once I come back, I’ll go to Chennai before we fly for the Asian Games. I think the schedule is pretty good and I’m really looking forward to it.
Q: Are you someone who is nervous before matches or do you just go for it?
Suraj: I’m the person who is the most nervous before the match, but people might not see that on my face. Earlier, I used to get very nervous, but after playing so many matches, I have learned that even when I’m under pressure, I just can’t show that to my opponent or anyone.
Q: Squash is all set to make its debut at the Olympics in 2028. How are you looking forward to it?
Suraj: I’m pretty excited. More players in India are starting to play and it’s a big motivation for all the players who are looking for squash to get into the Olympics. If not this time, next time, I’ll definitely try my best to get into the Olympics. More and more people now know about squash, especially after last year’s World Cup win in Chennai. It’s really good to see that the game is really growing in India.
The post From FISU Triumph to Asian Games: Suraj Chand on His Journey and Squash’s Olympic Future appeared first on Sports News Portal | Revsportz.
