Mumbai: Ramit Tandon could have taken a belated plunge into full-time squash, however there’s one factor he reckons has come simply on the proper time in his skilled profession — the game’s inclusion within the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics.
Ramit Tandon’s roadmap for the 12 months entails ending this season above his career-high 2024 rating of 28 (Ramit Tandon / X)
“I caught it at the right time. Unlike, for example, my friend Saurav,” he smiled.
Whereas Saurav Ghosal, at 38, is preventing an growing older physique in his gradual return to the PSA tour after retiring final 12 months, Tandon, at 32, has taken regular strides lately to take over from his good friend because the India No.1 at present ranked thirty third.
“The way I look at it, I’m at the prime of my career. And in the next 3-4 years I can only get better because I’m going to develop that experience,” Tandon stated.
It’s not widespread for a 32-year-old squash professional to discuss “developing experience”. Tandon’s profession trajectory, although, has been something however widespread.
Among the many prime juniors, the Columbia College graduate went from smashing balls to monitoring Wall Road in a full-time hedge fund job. He swapped sneakers once more and went professional previous to the 2018 Asian Video games the place he was a part of India’s bronze profitable crew.
Since then, he’s made the US his coaching and aggressive base, accumulating 4 PSA titles alongside the way in which whereas climbing the rankings. He continues to largely compete within the larger tour occasions, making an exception to show up for JSW Indian Open right here, a PSA Copper occasion.
When it comes to quantity of tournaments and matches, Tandon is a little bit of an anomaly. As an illustration, world No.1 Ali Farag, Tandon’s up to date with whom he developed a fond school rivalry, has performed 549 matches. Tandon, as per his PSA profile web page, has performed lower than half of that.
“In the ranking bracket I am in, I’m probably the least experienced in terms of number of years on the circuit,” Tandon stated. “Which also means the body is relatively fresh for my age, which I’m finding an advantage now. With the Olympics in mind, it’s perhaps a good thing in hindsight. I have some fuel stored in the tank.”
The professionals include a couple of cons too. Tandon believes he loses plenty of matches as a result of his opponents carry 10-15 years of expertise enjoying the tour. “They have a bit more mental maturity than I do,” he stated.
As he seems to be to develop that whereas placing in additional days and matches, the Olympics nod for squash in late 2023 got here as an enormous driving drive. “A big reason why I’m pushing myself right now is the Olympics chapter, coming exactly at the right time for me.”
For this season’s calendar, Tandon has earmarked a few Gold and Platinum occasions in Egypt and Zurich forward of the World Championships and British Open. Having misplaced the corporate of his shadow — “Saurav has basically been my guide since I started playing” — on the prime degree, Tandon desires to progress from simply competing in larger occasions to “doing some damage”.
“In those bigger events, only two Indian men to have made Round of 16 is Saurav and me. I would like to change that; make a quarter or semi. Indians are happy with just qualifying for the World Championship, but that can’t be the outlook.”
That’s additionally not the outlook Tandon wish to have with 2028 LA in thoughts. His roadmap entails ending this season above his career-high 2024 rating of 28, after which kicking on by doing higher in PSA occasions.
“Mathematically, if I maintain this ranking, I’ll be there (in LA). The goal is to climb up the rankings, and aim to head to the Olympics with a seeded position.”
Anahat beats Joshna, enters closing
Rising teen Anahat Singh defeated veteran star Joshna Chinappa in a battle of generations to enter the ultimate of the JSW Indian Open at Bombay Gymkhana on Thursday.
Anahat, the brand new India No.1 at age 17, was too good on the entrance courtroom for the 38-year-old Joshna in a 3-1 (11-7, 5-11, 11-6, 11-6) semis win.
Whereas Anahat got here into this event profitable a Challenger in Chennai final week, Joshna, former prime 10, solely returned to aggressive singles motion within the Chennai occasion after a prolonged knee harm layoff. Joshna had, final December, accompanied the Indian ladies’s crew that included Anahat as coach on the World Group Championships.