India, May 8 -- Ramit Tandon, India’s leading squash professional, vividly recalls the excitement he experienced during his first World Championships in 2019 and the insights he gained from it.

"I was thrilled just to be there," he remembered. "I was so delighted to have made it that it affected my performance. "

Joining a more determined Tandon at the PSA World Championships in Chicago starting Friday will be four other Indians. Three of them are newcomers who can likely relate to Tandon's feelings as a novice. Tandon (ranked 34) and Abhay Singh (38) are familiar with the experience of the Worlds, but for Velavan Senthilkumar (45), Veer Chotrani (57), and Anahat Singh (62), it’s an entirely new experience.

The fact that five Indians have secured a place in the competition among the world’s top 64 men and women indicates the increasing depth in Indian squash currently. In the last Worlds, Tandon was the only representative from India. The previous instance when five or more from the nation participated in the Worlds occurred when players like Saurav Ghosal and Joshna Chinnappa were nearing their peak and advancing to the later rounds. In recent years, the representation of Indians has decreased.

Thus, while the foundation of Indian squash has expanded again, the ongoing challenge is to delve deeper in competitions like the Worlds over the next few years leading into squash's first appearance at the 2028 LA Olympics.

"It’s something Indians struggle with - a bit of anxiety, and the absence of that culture," remarked Tandon, whose best performance at the Worlds has been a Round of 32 appearance. "As we progress through the rounds, we celebrate it, but there’s insufficient belief (to advance further). For the Egyptians, that’s not the culture. It’s what we’re striving for, to build that confidence to deliver consistent performances day after day in such events. "

Also striving for that is Abhay. He approaches the Worlds with a PSA Challenger title from New York and a runner-up finish at the PSA bronze event in Mumbai that has elevated his ranking to 38.

"I’ve been participating in larger events for the last few seasons, so I’m calm as usual," said Abhay, whose 2023 Worlds experience finished in the first round. "But I need to capitalize on my opportunities and win matches because those are hard to come by at this level. "

Competing at this level will mostly be uncharted territory for the others. Senthilkumar, 27, earned his position based on his ranking, while Chotrani, 23, and 17-year-old Anahat qualified by winning the Asian qualifying event.

"It’s incredible for Indian squash to have this level of depth," Tandon, 32, remarked. "For them, just being there is a milestone. It creates a positive mindset where they can compete more freely. That applies to Anahat as well. "

Except for Tandon, all the Indians will face seeded opponents in their initial rounds. Tandon believes that upsets are becoming more common in squash now, and this pattern could carry into these Worlds taking place in the final segment of the PSA season with many players "exhausted. "

Tandon himself had to withdraw from the second round last year. The world No. 34 conquered higher-ranked Timothy Brownell in last month’s Platinum event in El Gouna before a neck problem interrupted his plans. Training for several days with world No. 1 Egyptian Mostafa Asal in New York prior to traveling to Chicago, the top-ranked Indian is aiming for increased consistency.

"I have defeated top 10, 20 players in the world. It hasn't occurred as often as I would have preferred, but there is a conviction that on my best day I can defeat anyone," Tandon stated. "However, I've experienced fluctuations where I could win against anyone one day and lose to anyone the next. I’m attempting to find a level of greater consistency. "

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