The youngest member of the Indian contingent, 14-year-old squad prodigy Anahat Singh had an excellent start to her campaign at the 2022 Commonwealth Games. She defeated Saint Vincent and the Grenadines' Jada Ross by a 3-0 margin on Friday to book her place in the round of 32.
Anahat looked incredibly confident from the start, and it never seemed that she could lose. Ross tried to put up a fight in the first game, but her efforts were not enough to get the better of the youngster as Anahat secured an 11-5 win.
The next two games were all about the brilliance of the Grade 9 student from Delhi, as her opponent did not get a sniff. The second game ended 11-2 in Anahat’s favour, while in the third game, Ross failed to pick up a single point.
While the nation had high expectations from Anahat before the event, given her recent exploits, it will be fair to say that the prodigy has exceeded all those expectations with her Day 1 display.
Her next challenge, however, will be a litmus test of the youngster’s character. She will be up against the world number 19, Emily Whitlock in her round of 32 tie on Saturday. Born in England, the 28-year-old represents Wales and has won numerous accolades in her illustrious career. The daughter of former Squash player Phil Whitlock, Emily made it to the semi-finals of the British National Championship only last month, while back in April, she came second at the Irish Open.
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