Hyderabad: Aryaveer Dewan, a promising young squash player from Delhi, made waves by winning the Asian Boys Under-19 title at the 33rd Asian Junior Individual Squash Championships in Panzhihua, China. With his impressive skills, he defeated South Korea’s Jonghyeok Lee in straight games, securing scores of 11-2, 11-7, and 11-9. This victory places Aryaveer in an exclusive group of only four Indians to have claimed this prestigious title.
Before Aryaveer, the only Indian male players to win the Asian U-19 crown were Ravi Dixit in 2011, Velavan Senthilkumar in 2016, and Veer Chotrani in 2019. Seeded 3/4, Aryaveer reached the final after an unexpected win against the top seed from Malaysia, Nickhileswar Moganasundharam. This title adds to his growing reputation, having already won the Boys’ U-17 Asian title last year.
Aryaveer’s success comes just in time, as he gears up for the World Junior Championships in two months. Cyrus Poncha, secretary-general of the Squash Rackets Federation of India and a Dronacharya awardee, praised Aryaveer, stating, “Winning back-to-back titles will boost his confidence greatly.”
India’s performance in the championships was notable. The country brought home one gold, three silver, and four bronze medals across various categories. Shiven Agarwal earned silver in the boys’ U-17 category after a tight match against Pakistan’s Nauman Khan. Anika Dubey also finished as a runner-up in the girls’ U-17 section, facing Malaysia’s Harleein Tan. Amarya Bajaj secured silver in the boys’ U-13 event after a back-and-forth clash with Hong Kong’s Leung Ngo San.
This achievement underscores a promising trend in Indian squash. A recent study by the Squash Rackets Federation shows a 30% increase in junior squash participation in the last few years, reflecting the sport’s growing popularity in the country.
As Aryaveer Dewan continues his journey, all eyes will be on him at the World Junior Championships, where he hopes to further elevate India’s standing in squash.
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ASIAN JUNIOR SQUASH, ASIAN BOYS UNDER 19, SQUASH RACKETS FEDERATION OF INDIA, SQUASH CHAMPIONSHIPS IN PANZHIHUA, ARYAVEER, ASIAN JUNIOR SQUASH: ARYAVEER CLINCHES CROWN; INDIA RETURNS WITH RICH MEDAL HAUL FROM CHINA
