India’s Abhay Singh and Amina Orfi from Egypt bagged the men’s and women’s titles respectively in the HCL PSA Challenger squash tournament at the Dhyan Chand National Stadium on Wednesday.
The final match in the men’s category was played between Yassin Elshafei (EGY, World Rank 78) and Abhay Singh (IND, World Rank 70) and the Indian player won the title with a score of 3-1 in a match that lasted 49 minutes.
“I am overjoyed with my victory, and it is a testament to the immense talent and potential of Indian squash. I am grateful for HCL’s support, which has been committed to the growth of our sport for the past seven years, and their unwavering support gave me the strength to triumph today.
“That being said, the match against Yassin Wednesday was no less challenging and the tremendous support from my family, friends, and coaches encouraged me to persevere against him. I hope to continue my winning streak in the upcoming matches in Denmark and Canada,” said Abhay Singh
On the other hand, in the women’s category, the final match was played between Amina Orfi [U19] (EGY, World Rank 94) and Tanvi Khanna (IND, World Rank 117), with Egyptian taking home the title with a score of 3-1 in a match lasting 47 minutes.
“The match against Tanvi Khanna was intense, as she played with remarkable skill and tenacity. Despite the tough competition, I am grateful for the learning opportunity. I am elated to have come out on top and am now eager to continue my preparation for future tournaments,” said Orfi.
The tournament, which was the third leg of the HCL-SRFI Indian Tour and had a total prize cap of 6000 USD in each category, witnessed participation from 56 players from 12 countries.
The countries include Egypt, Hongkong, Serbia, France, Bahrain, Japan, Northern Ireland, Kuwait, Sri Lanka, Korea, India, and Canada. Leading players like Abhay Singh (IND, World Rank-70), Yassin Elshafei (EGY, World Rank -78), Amina Orfi (EGY, World Rank – 94), Nadeen Kotb (EGY, World Rank- 104) participated in the PSA Tour.
Along with the PSA tournament, HCL 12th Indian Junior Open is also being held from January 30 to February 3, 2023.
Over 290 players from India, the USA, Malaysia, Sri Lanka, England, and Singapore have registered for the tournament. This annual tournament has been helping squash players for the last 12 years to get better seeding in the Asian and World Junior Championships.
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