Squash
Chennai to host HCL Squash Tour and Southern Slam
Starting June 4, the city is set to host the second leg of the HCL Squash Tour and the Southern Slam squash event.
Anahat Singh will participate in both PSA and Southern Slam tournaments in Chennai. (File Photo: British Junior Open)
Chennai: The city of Chennai will welcome a host of squash players in the upcoming week for the second leg of the HCL Squash Tour and the Southern Slam from June 4-8. Both the tournaments are scheduled to take place at the Indian Squash Academy.
Certified by the Professional Squash Association (PSA), the HCL Squash Tour is a multi-city PSA Challenger Tour and helps players improve their world rankings.
The Southern Slam, on the other hand, is certified 5-star by the SRFI and helps Asian junior players boost their rankings.
These tournament are being organized as part of the HCL Squash Podium Program, a platform where Indian squash players can compete with the world's best.
Players from five countries
Over 47 players from five countries (Sri Lanka, Malaysia, Kuwait, Qatar and India) will participate in the HCL Squash Tour for a prize money of USD 3,000 each in men's and women's category.
Meanwhile, in the Southern Slam tournament, nearly 250 junior players are expected to compete across various categories (U-11, U-13, U-15, U-17 and U-19).
It is the first of four zonal tournaments to be held alongside PSA tournaments in the coming year with the aim of giving junior players a chance to witness international competitors and learn from them.
Not just that, the Southern Slam can also help boost the Asian rankings of these junior athletes.
Anahat Singh in the fray
In Chennai, the several top-ranked Indian talents will participate in both tournaments.
These include Anahat Singh (U19 & World Rank 114), Ravindu Laksiri (#142), Rathika Suthanthira (#170), Rahul Baitha (#206), Vedant Patel (316) and Om Semwal (#279).
The first leg of the HCL Squash Tour concluded recently in Indore and India’s Rathika Suthanthira Seelan clinched the women’s title.
Anahat Singh, who won the women’s title at JSW Willingdon 2024, did not compete in Indore. Meanwhile, 20-year-old Om Semwal finished as runner up in the men's category at Indore, losing to Ravindu Laksiri of Sri Lanka in the final.
Also, Harinder Pal Singh Sandhu will participate in the PSA tournament.
A veteran of the professional circuit, Sandhu was a part of the Indian team that won the gold medal at the 2014 Asian Games held at Incheon.
