Pune student Anika Dubey becomes Maharashtra’s youngest to enter India’s U-19 squash squad

Anika Dubey, a 15-year-old student-athlete from Pune, will represent India’s Under-19 Girls’ Team at the World Junior Squash Championships in Cairo, Egypt, this July. Her selection marks a historic moment, as she is the youngest athlete from Maharashtra to reach this level.

Dubey’s story is more than a tale of sporting success. "I started playing squash when I was six years old, and I started competing in competitions when I was nine. Initially, managing sports and studies together was difficult. Slowly, I learnt to manage time with the help of my parents and a timetable," she says.

Her journey took a pivotal turn in 2020–21, when at the age of 12, she began training under Abhinav Sinha, a professionally trained squash player with nearly two decades of competitive experience. She says, “A mentor is very important. You need guidance and someone to help you in skill development.”

At present, Sinha mentors Dubey under the Chance2Sports initiative—an inclusive sports development programme aimed at nurturing athletes from underserved geographies.

He adds, “Anika is doing very well at her studies; she is in [class] 10th and managing her time well. Her rise is a story of belief meeting opportunity.

It’s not just about talent—it’s about what can happen when young girls from Tier II cities are supported with the right ecosystem.”

Dubey frequently travelled between Pune and Mumbai to access world-class coaching while juggling academics and a demanding training schedule. “You don’t have to leave one for the other,” Sinha says, adding, “You just have to manage sports and studies. Because the kind of learning you get from sports, I don’t think any educational institute can offer.”

Looking ahead, Dubey is focused and ambitious. “I aim to win the Asian Junior Squash Championship in the next two years,” she says. Her coach, too, has high hopes: “I hope Anika plays the Commonwealth Games and World Championships in the senior category as well.”

Dubey’s journey to the world stage has been paved with consistent and remarkable achievements. Currently ranked No. 2 in India in the U-19 girls’ division, she is already a three-time national champion and is fondly referred to as “the golden girl of Pune”. 

Her recent success came at the 38th National Games in Uttarakhand, where she clinched gold as part of Team Maharashtra, alongside Anjali Semwal, Sunita Patel, and Akanksha Gupta. Her journey also radiates hope. “Even if things are not working out, if you stick to it, one day it will happen,” she says. “Don’t let it go.”

As Dubey prepares to carry the Indian flag at the global level, she carries something more: the dreams of countless young girls from small towns who are told their ambitions are too big.