With the final swing of her racquet, Kareena Sashikumar clinched the 33rd Asian Junior Individual Squash Championship in her age group. The first Singaporean to win an Asian Junior Individual age-group title. The competition held in the city of Panzhihua, Sichuan province, China, from May 20 to 24, saw tenacious young hearts from Singapore competing on an international stage. Kareena, a 12-year-old from Farrer Park Primary School, won the title without losing a single game. In just 15 minutes, she defeated Japan’s third-ranked player, Rio Yoshino, 11-2, 11-3, 11-1 in the tournament’s final game.
Reflecting on the win, Kareena said: “I just told myself to be steady and focused.”
Taking inspiration from her father and brother, she picked up the sport at age six and found herself training under the National Team from 10.
“Whenever she sets foot on the court, she puts her head into the game and plays in a driven and fired-up manner. That’s what sets her apart as an Under-13 Asian champion,” said her coach Gurshant Singh, 31, the acting head coach for Singapore Squash.
Fighting alongside Kareena was her brother Jackrish Sashikumar, who finished 10th in his age group. Echoing similar sentiments toward the sport, Jackrish said he was introduced to squash by his father, a former state-level player from Penang, and later developed a curiosity that blossomed into passion.
“It’s always a pride to be able to represent the country at these big tournaments. So, I really enjoyed myself, being able to play for Singapore,” he noted.
Also representing Singapore at the tournament were twins Naisha Singh and Rehaan Singh, aged 15, both finishing in the top eight in the girls’ and boys’ divisions of their age groups.
“Squash is a really fast-paced sport; you constantly have to keep adapting your swings and court positioning,” said Naisha, further emphasising the rigour and discipline it takes to excel in squash.
When major competitions are on the horizon, athletes endure a gruelling schedule, training five to six times a week for up to six months, Mr Gurshan noted.
Beyond the pressures of professional athletics, academics also pose challenges for these national athletes.
“Students are stretched for time, but it is heartening that we have a great bunch of kids who are willing to find a balance between sports and studies, and I think we’re moving in the right direction,” said Alex Wan, 48, the general manager of the Singapore Squash Rackets Association.
These athletes stand on the cusp of Singapore’s squash resurgence, helping fan the sport back into a competitive blaze after the Covid-19 pandemic. Their achievements help spotlight Singaporean Indian excellence in sport.
