With Olympics in Sight, Squash Star Saurav Ghosal Faces Uncharted Juncture at 37
(Photo: Instagram/Sauravghosal, altered by The Quint)
“I so wish this happened 10 years ago. It would have made things a lot easier for me.”
Saurav Ghosal, India’s sempiternal squash superstar – who is usually stoic, and never really temperamental – did not particularly put an effort to conceal his feelings whilst stating the aforementioned, during a conversation with The Quint. By ‘this’, he is referring to a recent development.
Squash will be a part of the Olympics roster, come 2028. Ghosal will be 41 years of age.
Bitterly disappointed, the son of Saurav’s then-coach Malcolm Willstrop, David had told The Guardian “Squash is played all over the world and yet 90 men sit in a hall and vote us out. I don't know what more the IOC wants from us.”
After rejections aplenty, including 2020 and 2024, squash’s Olympics inclusion was finally confirmed during the recently concluded IOC session in Mumbai.
The major question for now is – For Saurav Ghosal, the nine-time Asian Games and three-time Commonwealth Games medallist, has it happened a bit too late?
Saurav answers from a crossroad – while the felicity of accomplishment is palpable, so is the perturbation of uncertainty.
Saurav Ghosal will discuss LA Olympics participation with his family and team.
“And what will this discussion revolve around?” we asked.
Saurav explains “To play in the LA Olympics will require a commitment for five years – not just from me, but from my family members, too. A lot of sacrifices are needed to be made – from my wife, father and everyone in my immediate family. I have asked them for plenty of such sacrifices all these years to facilitate my career. Asking for the same again for five more years will not be an easy request, really.”
It has been three decades of sacrifices from the Ghosal family, and unwavering dedication from the player himself, but the first major claim to fame happened 16 years ago.
Saurav's nine Asian Games medals came from five different editions.
“Even in my wildest dreams, I did not think I would play in so many Asian Games, let alone winning medals! I am just grateful for the career that I have had,” Saurav says, reflecting on his inexplicable longevity in the game.
On being asked about the mantra, he meticulously explains:
However, beyond his rigorous training regime that he religiously follows, and his zeal to add to his accolades, what works for Saurav is a fervent bond with his racquet.
A part of the gold-medal-winning team at the 2014 Asian Games, Saurav saw his side returning with only a bronze from Jakarta, in 2018. The glitter, however, was reclaimed a few weeks ago, courtesy of a final triumph against Pakistan that was enthralling enough to turn those who hadn’t heard of the sport till now, to avid fans.
Led by Saurav, the Indian men's team defeated Pakistan in the gold medal contest at the 2023 Asian Games.
Albeit, the disappointment of losing out on the singles final is yet to completely subside.
Meeting gaze with the difficult discussions that will soon ensue, Saurav finds himself at a surreal juncture. While contemplating on the plausibility of competing at the Olympics in his forties, he is also doubling up as a mentor-inspiration-everything for the next generation – those in the likes of Anahat Singh, who were not even born when he won his first Asian Games medal.
Speaking on the 15-year-old prodigy, Saurav says:
“Can this occasional mentoring role transition into the full-time coach by 2028, if you retire by then?” we ask.
“I’m not sure whether I’ll be a coach, but of course, I would want to be involved in some capacity. Squash has given me a whole lot, so I want to give it back by helping the next generation perform at the biggest stage,” Saurav replies.
For all he has done for two decades, and at a sport that demands everything that an athlete’s body can plausibly offer, Saurav should ideally be among the – if not the predominant one – poster-boys of Indian sports. Revered and lionised.
Albeit, he perhaps isn’t.
On being asked about whether it bothers him, Saurav says:
The next target of Saurav Ghosal – getting into the top five in world rankings.
“So, you’re still striving to unlock the best version of Saurav Ghosal?”
“Of course. I have always dreamt of being among the world’s top five players. It is something I have not achieved yet, but I am still striving hard. Besides that, I also want to win the World Championships for India,” he concludes.
(At The Quint, we are answerable only to our audience. Play an active role in shaping our journalism by becoming a member. Because the truth is worth it.)