Indian Men's Squash Team Secures Bronze at World Junior Championships
Indian Men's Team Achieves Back-to-Back Bronze Medals
Photo: @ians_india/X
Ontario, July 31: The Indian men's squash team has clinched a bronze medal for the second consecutive time at the World Squash Junior Team Championships, following a 0-2 defeat against the United States in the semifinals. This loss came just a day after the women's team faced elimination against their American rivals in the quarterfinals.
In the opening match, Gurveer Singh narrowly lost to Brendan Tagliarini with scores of 7-11, 12-10, 9-11, and 7-11. Aryaveer Dewan, the top player for India, was defeated by Yaseen Shalaby with a scoreline of 5-11, 7-11, 5-11.
This marks a historic achievement as it is the first instance of an Indian team securing back-to-back medals in this prestigious junior competition.
During the initial match, Tagliarini, celebrating his 17th birthday, made a remarkable comeback from being 2-1 down against Gurveer, ultimately giving the USA an early advantage with a victory of 11-7, 9-11, 6-11, 11-7, 11-3.
With the USA gaining momentum, Shalaby quickly dominated the second match, securing a 3-0 win over Aryaveer and confirming their spot in the finals.
“I fought as hard as I could and he pushed me to play my best. I just kept telling myself that I could do it and my coach ‘Nicky T’ (Nick Taylor) helped push me through it! It feels amazing to clutch it for the team!” Tagliarini expressed after his match.
Shalaby, who sealed the tie for the USA, remarked, “It’s amazing, India’s a tough opponent and they upset England yesterday and they have what it takes to show why they’re one of the best. I just want to say I’m so happy to have this victory with my teammates and friends, as it wouldn’t be possible without them; we all support each other and are a really good team.”
The USA will now compete against Egypt in the men's final, a rematch of the 2025 final held in Cairo, where the defending champions faced a tough challenge from France, who put up a strong fight throughout the tie.