Forged in Fire: Ashoka Squash Team

The squash courts at Ashoka sit tucked into the dim first-floor corridor of the Sports Block. Hundreds of students pass them daily on the way to the gym, but few bat an eye. The majority of students on campus have either never heard of squash or have never had the opportunity to play the sport growing up, so it’s not a sport they instinctively try out. This is exactly what the squash team is trying to address with their daily team practices and tournaments. We spoke to Abhay Menon (UG25), men's squash captain and Mehek Anand (UG2023), women’s squash captain, to understand their view of where the team stands in the Delhi-NCR college circuit, lack of tournaments and how they aspire to influence the up-and-coming batches to pick up a squash racket. 

Abhay, previously a tennis player, first picked up a squash racket at 12-years of age in Mumbai. Intrigued by the sport, he wanted to give it a try and the next thing he knew, he was playing daily. Having recently played Maharashtra state and Open Nationals in August, he says he was ranked 150 in the country. Mehek on the other hand, was a badminton player till the age of 12. She got introduced to squash at Delhi Gymkhana Club and immediately took a liking to it. She was advised to take up squash professionally as there were ample growth opportunities due to a dearth of female players in the country. She comes in having played 2 years in the SRFI (Squash Rackets Federation of India) and a career-high rank of 18. 

Abhay took over the captaincy from Snehal Papnoi in March 2025. He says that the transition was smooth despite it happening in the middle of the semester, and he was welcomed as a fresh change by his teammates and coach. On the other hand, Mehek has had a longer tenure as captain – having captained the women’s side since 2024. She quite enjoys the leadership position but also says that since it’s a niche sport and rarely played by girls on campus, there are very few people to lead. 

When asked about the challenges the two of them faced upon taking the reins of the team – Abhay cited issues of haphazard training schedules and lack of tournaments (played only 1 tournament the previous year). His focus was simple; emphasize fitness, showing up to training and going to as many tournaments as possible. He also believes that the best players on the team were used to being treated differently, and he also plans on debunking said “star culture” within the team. For Mehek, the challenges were a bit different – finding skilled players for the women’s team in an intra-university setting has been the biggest challenge for her yet. Moreover, she has had to learn how to manage different personalities and players with varying levels of skillsets. The women’s team has also struggled with sharing the court with the men’s team and demanding equal attention from the coach. 

On their win at IIT Roorkee in October, Abhay remarked that it was the teams’ first tournament since SNU in November 2024. He took a young team of first years with him (Ved Bubna, Kushal Vir Singh and Vairaj Singh), with the first years’ having adapted to the new rules better. The win truly bolstered their team morale which led to a spike in attendance and training intensity. Mehek, while talking about the silver at the same tournament, said it was a great bonding opportunity for the girls as it was an out-station tournament. Similar to the men’s team, the women’s team saw an uptick in attendance and intensity in the following training session with a significant boost in interest and motivation.

Abhay, a bit emotional when asked about his first & last Agneepath, said the team heading into the fest is the strongest in a long time. Going up against familiar opponents with the team’s morale at an all time high, he is feeling quite confident of their chances. Mehek, on the other hand, was a bit worried. The team has their fingers crossed for more registrations without which  women’s squash might get cancelled altogether.

When Abhay first came to campus and joined the team, Gautam was his captain – who he speaks highly of. Abhay was all praises about the great morale and practice sessions under Gautam’s leadership. Then came Anurag Moyde, perhaps the poster boy for squash at Ashoka. Having played U15 and U13 professionally, Anurag brought about an air of seriousness and discipline in his practice sessions. Lastly, before taking over as captain, Abhay played under Snehal Papnoi – a tenure marked with conflict and irregular practices within the team. 

When Mehek first came to campus and joined the team, Avyana was her captain – under whom, the team was still in its initial stages as there was a dearth of talent and interest among girls on campus, which severely disappointed Mehek. However, the team went to IIT Kanpur that year and came back with the gold medal. Under her own leadership, she has found a dependable player in Nayna Taneja, which has allowed her to divert more focus towards her leadership and mentoring the younger batches. One thing which she has emphasized over the 2 years has been hanging out with the team outside of practice hours which has raised the motivation and camaraderie. 

Kushal Vir Singh stands out to Abhay in a vastly skilled squad. Having played U19 at a professional level and achieving an All-India Rank of 14, Kushal not only brings with him professional in-game experience but also the poise and confidence which helps push other youngsters in the squad. Abhay also mentions Ved Bubna as one of the up-and-coming talents within the team. A relative new-comer to the sport, Ved has grown heaps and bounds in his first year itself. 

For Mehek, Aruja Saraf in particular stands out with regards to young talents within the team. She specifically mentions her sound technique and game sense, along with a smooth left-side drop shot which is her go-to shot against the seasoned seniors on the team as well. 

During the semester, both the teams have a specific training schedule – 3 sessions a week divided into 1 drill session, 1 conditioned game which means playing either backcourt or only on one side of the court along with fitness, and 1 match practice session. In the offseason, they increase their focus on upskilling themselves via drill sessions and conditioned games, and when a tournament rolls around, the team reduces drill sessions and focuses on match practice to get used to in-game pressure situations.

Both the captains were in agreement that morale is the biggest factor in a squash game. It is of utmost importance to be mentally prepared and stay positive before a game along with having confidence in your skill. Further, support from teammates outside the box during games is really important as they all uplift each other during a poor stretch of points and games. 

On the topic of injuries and policies, both Abhay and Mehek spoke about the importance of wearing the proper gear required to maintain personal safety as well as making sure that the court is left undamaged for future use. They stressed upon the policy of wearing non-marking shoes as it doesn’t deteriorate the court’s grip and thus, prevents long-lasting injuries on the team. They spoke about personal knee injuries that they're dealing with, and also how helpful the sports physiotherapist has been for the team in the recent past.

The goals for both teams are not quite the same. Abhay, in his last semester at Ashoka, comes in with the mindset to get his team to give their 100% in every single match and win every possible tournament. Mehek is hoping for more opportunities to grow the sport beyond the court and play as many tournaments as possible, given the dearth of women’s squash teams in the Delhi-NCR region.

Captains Abhay and Mehek want readers to take away the following from this piece – despite squash being an individual sport, there is still a team element to it and that team spirit is very important in helping the player win games. Spirit is make or break and you have to believe in yourself and the team. They also stressed on the fact that the team and the coaches are open to help new players out, urging students not to be intimidated by the 4 walls of the court. Finally, the team would appreciate it if all readers would follow their team Instagram page @ashokasquash.