You’re doing this for yourself: Ramit Tandon on passion, pressure and the Olympic dream

For over a decade, Ramit Tandon has been among the leading faces of Indian squash, navigating the relentless grind of the professional circuit while remaining part of a generation that has steadily strengthened India’s presence on the global stage.

But for Tandon, the journey in the sport has always been rooted in something far simpler than rankings or medals: passion.

“At the end of the day, we all play sport because it’s a big passion,” he told The Bridge.

“It’s something I do out of my own will. I love doing it, and I don’t need added motivation because I enjoy it so much. I want to be as good as I can be at it.”

That passion, however, does not make the ups and downs any easier.

Injuries, illness and fluctuations in form are inevitable parts of a professional athlete’s life, something Tandon experienced firsthand after an injury earlier this year during a tournament in Texas.

For the 33-year-old, the challenge lies in maintaining perspective during those difficult periods.

“Anything that you’re so attached to, all the highs are high, and the lows are low,” he reflected. “It’s hard at times when you’re injured or sick, and things aren’t going your way. A sports person’s journey will always have ups and downs, and you have to be prepared to handle both.”

His way of navigating those moments is to constantly remind himself why he started in the first place.

“You try reminding yourself that you’re not doing this to prove something to anyone. You’re doing this for yourself, and that’s the most important thing.”

Olympic inclusion sparks new motivation

The landscape of the sport changed significantly last year when squash was officially included in the 2028 Summer Olympics programme.

For players like Tandon, who had watched the sport repeatedly miss out on Olympic inclusion during their careers, the announcement brought both excitement and relief.

“I’ve seen squash fail through my career a few times where it was being pitched to the Olympics and we didn’t make it,” he said. “At some point, I thought it was never going to happen in my playing time. To see it actually get included was a big relief and something I was really excited about.”

Yet, despite the excitement, he believes the road to Olympic qualification is still far too unpredictable to make any firm predictions.

“With the way squash works, two years is a long time. You can’t really pinpoint anyone and say this person is making the Olympics,” he explained. “You’re not only competing against the world rankings but also against your own countrymen.”

According to Tandon, even players at the very top of the rankings face uncertainty.

“Even for the Egyptian who is world number one right now, there’s no guarantee that two years from now he’ll still be world number one and another Egyptian won’t take over.”

As things stand, he believes a wide pool of players remains in contention.

“As of today, anyone within the top 50 in the world has the scope of improving and qualifying through the different qualification events and the Asian Games.”

Asian Games the immediate target

Before Olympic ambitions come into sharper focus, Tandon has a much more immediate goal: the Asian Games.

“Obviously, the Asian Games is the biggest event for us this year,” he said. “Everything I’m doing right now is oriented towards having a good showing there.”

India enters the event with strong expectations following its previous success in the men’s team event. But Tandon believes that in elite sport, past achievements count for very little once competition begins.

“Four years is a long time,” he said. “You’ve just got to go in with the perspective of giving your best and not think too much about what you’re defending.”

At the same time, the opportunity to compete at a multi-sport event representing India remains special.

“There is excitement but also pressure because you know you can come back and win medals for the country, and hopefully the colour we all want, which is gold.”

Rising competition within Indian squash

Indian men’s squash has enjoyed growing depth in recent years, with several players consistently breaking into the world’s top 50.

For Tandon, that internal competition is not a challenge but a positive sign for the sport’s growth.

“Indian squash is doing well, which is an amazing thing,” he said. “There have been years where we’ve had four or five men inside the top 50 or 60 in the world.”

Rather than viewing younger players as rivals, he believes their presence helps raise the overall standard.

“It’s healthy competition. It’s good to have players pushing you and creating a culture where players can train and spar with each other. India has never really had that before.”

That environment, he feels, is crucial for sustaining India’s progress in the sport.

“You always had one outlier and then the rest of the pack. Now you have four players in the mix, and even the team requires four players, so we have just the right number.”

A rare chance to play at home

Before those larger targets arrive, Tandon will turn his attention to the upcoming 2026 JSW Indian Open, where he enters the draw as one of the higher-seeded players.

But despite the expectations that come with that status, his approach remains grounded.

“Obviously, when you’re among the higher seeds, you would like to have your hands on the trophy,” he admitted. “But sport has humbled each of us.”

He recalled how even being the top seed last year did not guarantee success.

“Last year I was the top seed, and I was out in the second round.”

More than anything, the event represents a rare opportunity to compete in front of familiar faces.

“I don’t get to play at home enough,” Tandon said. “I don’t get to play in front of the people who have shaped my squash career.”

For that reason, the focus is simple.

“I’m just going to focus on playing my best squash and enjoying it. And if I can produce what I’m capable of, hopefully we’ll see me do very well.”