Two-time Asian Games gold medallist Saurav Ghosal has announced his retirement from professional squash. Ghosal, 37, said in a lengthy statement posted on social media that he is stepping away from the professional tour but would like to continue playing for India.

Ghosal was the only Indian to enter the top 10 of the Professional Squash Association world rankings, rising to world No 10 in April 2019. Ghosal held the ranking for six months. The veteran won 10 PSA titles with his last victory coming at the Malaysian Open Squash Championships in November 2021. Overall, Ghosal reached 18 finals and won 281 of his 511 matches on the PSA tour.

“I started my journey on [PSA World Tour] 22 years ago,” Ghosal wrote on his official Instagram account. “At the time, I never thought in my wildest dreams, I would play professional squash for so long.

“As I travelled across the world, playing on some of the biggest stages our wonderful sport offered, I thought it would never come to an end. But, there’s always an end point. I am overwhelmed with emotions as I write this message. This sport has been my passion, my livelihood, and my identity for so many years. So, with a heart filled with pride and a tinge of sadness, I announce my retirement from the PSA.”

Ghosal also holds a record of 13 Indian Nationals titles wins, with the last of those coming in 2020. He was part of the Indian teams that won gold at the 2014 and 2022 Asian Games. Ghosal also won the men's singles silver at both Asiad events.

"Finally, I hope this is not me saying goodbye altogether from competitive squash. I would like to play for India a little while longer. Hopefully, there's some fight left in me, and I can achieve a bit more for my country. Till then, THANK YOU!"

Ghosal is hence still in line to fulfil his long-cherished dream of playing in the Olympics with squash making its debut in the 2028 Los Angeles edition. Ghosal will be 41 by then but if he chooses to play doubles and can produce results at the Asian and Commonwealth Games in 2026, he might as well take part in the biggest sporting spectacle.

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