New York — Columbia’s squash team made an impressive showing in the CSA Individual Tournament at Open Squash FiDi. On the second night, sophomore Yusuf Sheikh led the way, moving to the round of 32 in the Pool Trophy Division.
Sheikh won decisively against Amherst’s Devon Osborne with scores of 11-5, 11-7, and 11-4. Afterwards, he faced teammate Shaurya Bawa in a thrilling matchup, coming out on top with a clean three-set victory (11-6, 11-9, 11-6).
Junior Arhan Chandra secured his first win of the season against Penn’s Rustin Wiser, winning 11-5, 14-12, and 11-6. Although he fought hard in his next match against UVA’s Juan Irisarri, he couldn’t clinch the win, falling 11-9, 11-2, and 11-4.
Senior Franklyn Smith battled through a tough five-game match against Harvard’s Maddox Moxham. Smith took the second and third games before narrowly losing (5-11, 12-10, 11-7, 3-11, 8-11).
First-year Ahmad Haq also demonstrated resilience, pushing his match to five games against Drexel’s Guido Lindner. Despite winning the third and fourth games, Haq ultimately fell short (5-11, 7-11, 11-9, 11-8, 7-11).
Senior Nourin Khalifa opened strong, winning the first game against Virginia’s Maria Min, but succumbed to three straight games afterwards (11-9, 6-11, 7-11, 7-11). Yeheni Kuruppu faced difficulty as well, losing in straight games to Cornell’s Alysa Ali (6-11, 7-11, 4-11).
As the tournament progresses, the Lions anticipate another busy day. Sheikh is set to play at 2:40 p.m. in the Pool Trophy Division, while Smith and Haq will compete in the Men’s Plate Pool B at 11:40 a.m. Bawa and Chandra are also on deck at 2:10 p.m. on the Men’s side. Meanwhile, Khalifa and Kuruppu will kick off their matches in Women’s Plate Pool B at 10:00 a.m.
Recent trends show that squash continues to gain popularity, especially among younger athletes. According to recent statistics, participation in squash has increased by over 20% among college students in the past five years. This surge hints at the sport’s growing recognition and the potential for more exciting matches in the future.
For more updates on Columbia’s squash programs, follow them on X and Instagram @CULionsSquash, or visit GoColumbiaLions.com.
