New Delhi, Sep 22: Former India No. 1 Saurav Ghosal will miss the Asian Games for the first time since his debut at Busan in 2002, but the nine-time medallist will have a key role as mentor to teenage sensation Anahat Singh at the Aichi-Nagoya Games.
Ghosal, who won two gold, two silver and five bronze medals at the Asian Games, said he still wished he could compete at the continental showpiece but was now focused on helping the next generation.
“I wish I was there. I wish I was still playing. Kind of the best times of your life, of my life at least,” Ghosal said.
The 40-year-old, who never managed to win an Asian Games singles gold, said representing India at the event carried a significance beyond the professional circuit.
“It’s more to kind of have the honour to play for India, win for India and be proud doing that,” he said.
Ghosal said Anahat’s preparation has centred on tactical clarity rather than major changes to her game. The 18-year-old is being prepared to understand individual opponents, anticipate their strategies and execute plans that suit her strengths.
“She’s a well-rounded player overall. I think it’s about understanding who you’re playing in this event, what your opposition is going to look like, trying to get extreme clarity on how you’re going to play them,” Ghosal said.
He also emphasised the importance of mental preparation, particularly given the knockout format of the competition.
“You kind of need to be laser-focused at these events because one bad day can destroy the entire event,” he said.
Ghosal believes Anahat’s carefree personality can help her handle the expectations surrounding her campaign. He advised her to concentrate on controllable aspects of performance rather than worrying about whether she will win a medal.
“The expectations go back to the same thing that it’s not in your control. And it’s all about perception,” he said.
Ghosal considers both Anahat and men’s player Abhay Singh genuine medal contenders at the Games.
“There’s no doubt that both of them come into these Games as genuine medal contenders,” he said.
The stakes are also higher this time, with the Asian Games singles gold medallists set to earn direct qualification for the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics, where squash will make its Olympic debut.
“The big prize at these Asian Games is the gold because that gives you the Olympic qualification spot,” Ghosal said, while stressing that Olympic qualification would only be another step in the players’ longer journey.
For Indian squash, Ghosal has set an ambitious medal benchmark. He said India should win a medal in every event it enters — women’s singles, men’s singles, mixed doubles and the two team events.
“We should medal as a bare minimum in every event that we are in,” he said.
Ghosal went a step further by setting a target of three gold medals, including one in singles.
“Let’s say three golds. And one of them is in the singles… if we’re able to do that, then it’s a cracker of Games for Indian squash,” he said.
India had won five squash medals, including two golds, at the 2022 Asian Games in Hangzhou. Ghosal said medals remain the clearest measure of the team’s performance at the upcoming Games.
