New Delhi, July 31 (IANS) In a boost to India’s squash ambitions, especially with the sport’s debut at the LA 2028 Olympics, the Squash Rackets Federation of India (SRFI), on Thursday, launched the India Squash Tour 2025-26, with a record high prize purse and expanded global opportunities.

With the tour now expanded to six cities, the Professional Squash Association (PSA) Challenger Tour series brings international-calibre competition to Indian soil, offering critical PSA ranking points, enhanced prize purses, and a stronger pathway for homegrown athletes to excel globally.

Following the resounding success of the inaugural edition, which saw Indian players improve their PSA rankings significantly, the revamped 2025–26 season includes Jaipur, Mumbai, Chennai, Bengaluru, Ahmedabad, and Delhi on its circuit, with the latter two cities newly added to the lineup.

The tour now has a record prize pool and enhanced format: one PSA Challenger 15K event (Chennai); two PSA Challenger 9K events (Jaipur, Mumbai); three PSA Challenger 6K events (Delhi, Bengaluru, Ahmedabad).

Importantly, all tournaments will award equal prize money to men and women, with champions taking home USD 15,000, 9,000, or 6,000, depending on the event tier. Each leg will follow a 24-player knockout format, with the top eight seeds receiving byes into the second round. The Tour is open to PSA-registered players aged 15 and above.

The announcement comes amid an extraordinary phase for Indian squash. In July 2025, Anahat Singh, who began her PSA journey in January 2024 when her ranking was 129, rose to World No. 54 and clinched a historic bronze at the World Junior Squash Championships. Other standout performances include Abhay Singh rising from the 200s to a career-best World No. 35; Ramit Tandon (No. 28), Velavan Senthil Kumar (No. 39), Veer Chotrani (No. 62), and Tanvi Khanna (No. 69) are all climbing the global rankings.

With support from the Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports and the Sports Authority of India, the Tour is focused on bringing in new players in the PSA circuit USD 3,000 purses.

Cyrus Poncha, Secretary General of the Squash Rackets Federation of India (SRFI), said, “We are immensely grateful to the Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports, the Sports Authority of India, and our partner HCL, whose support since 2016 has been instrumental in nurturing Indian squash talent. Their contributions have driven remarkable progress, from elevating global rankings to achieving historic victories. The increased prize money and expanded tournament opportunities this year will further accelerate development, enabling more players to gain exposure, earn PSA points, and prepare for prestigious international events, including the Olympics.”

Rajat Chandolia, Associate Vice President and Head of Brand, HCL Group, said, “This year, we have stepped up to higher-tier events so that the Indian players can gain meaningful PSA points and face tougher global competition without needing to travel abroad. With squash set to debut at the 2028 Olympics, we are focused on creating a structured pipeline that helps Indian players thrive on the world stage. Our continued partnership with SRFI is aimed at strengthening every aspect of the sport’s ecosystem in India.”

Squash India Tour 2025-26 schedule:

1. Jaipur – August 4-8 (Sawai Man Singh Stadium)

2. Mumbai – September 8-12

3. Bengaluru – September 26-31

4. Chennai – December 1-5

5. Ahmedabad – January 27-31, 2026

6. Delhi – February 3-7, 2026.

–IANS

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