In a thrilling display of skill and determination, Shaurya Bawa, an 18-year-old from Delhi, has guaranteed himself a medal at the World Junior Squash Championships in Houston. Bawa’s hard-fought victory over Malaysian player Low Wa-Sern in the boys’ quarterfinals secured his place in the semifinals, making him only the second Indian male to reach this stage after Kush Kumar in 2014.
Shaurya Bawa’s tournament so far
The match was an intense battle that lasted 80 minutes. Bawa found himself trailing 6-9 and 7-10 in the fifth game, but he rallied remarkably, saving three match balls to secure a 2-11, 11-4, 10-12, 11-8, 12-10 victory. His resilience and determination exemplify the spirit of Indian sportsmanship.
With this win, Bawa sets up a semifinal clash with Egyptian top-seed Mohamed Zakaria. His performance has ignited hopes for a podium finish, and the entire nation eagerly awaits his next match.
FIRST IN 🔟YEARS
Shaurya Bawa has made it to the SemiFinal of WSF World Junior Squash Championship 2024
He defeated Malaysian opponent
2-11, 11-4, 10-12, 11-8, 12-10Congratulations 🥳 #Squash pic.twitter.com/5rnUdOkNgv
— IndiaSportsHub (@IndiaSportsHub) July 16, 2024
Meanwhile, Bawa’s compatriot, Anahat Singh, bowed out from the girls’ quarterfinals. The 16-year-old women’s national champion fought valiantly but fell short against Nadien Elhammamy of Egypt in a close five-setter (11-8, 11-9, 5-11, 10-12, 13-11).
Elhammamy, who five days ago celebrated her 17th birthday, started well against the 16-year-old Indian, opening up a 2-0 lead as she defended Anahat’s attacking game well.
The Indian came back hard in game three, though, reducing the deficit with an 11-5 win in game three and a hard-fought 12-10 victory in game four. Anahat appeared to have completed the comeback when she went 10-8 up in the fifth game, only for Elhammamy to dig in spectacularly to force a tie break.
Anahat earned another match ball at 11-10 but once again was denied by the Egyptian, with Elhammamy storming on to clinch the game 13-11 and the match 3-2.
