Yash Fadte youngest in India’s Under 17 and 19 squash teams

15-year-old Yash Fadte of Goa, one of the country’s top juniors, is the youngest to be selected to play for India in the under-19 World Junior Squash Championship and the under-17 Asian Junior Championship.

The World Championship will be held in New Zealand from July 19 to 24, while the Asian Championship will be held in Amman, Jordan from August 15 to 19. Fadte will also be part of a camp in Egypt from June 20 to July 10.

“It is always a proud moment to represent the country on the international stage,” said a delighted Fadte. “The trials were gruelling since I had to overcome formidable opponents. I have been to the British Open and other significant international tournaments before but playing for India in the World and Asian championships will be a rich and rewarding experience. There is a lot to learn from participating in these prestigious competitions. The exposure will go a long way in enhancing my skills and doing well for India.”

The teen sensation from Vasco was selected for the under-19 squad following selection trials in Chennai from June 1 to 4 where he beat India No. 2 Aryaman Adik of Mumbai 3-2, Krish Kapur of Bengal 3-0 and Saksham Choudhary of Delhi 30.

Earlier, at the selection trials for the under-17 team held in Chennai from May 16 to 20, Fadte beat Prithvi Singh of Chandigarh 3-0, Gautam Nagpal of Delhi 3-0, Utkarsh Baheti of Rajasthan 3-1, Maharashtra No. 2 Rahul Baitha 3-1, and Maharashtra No.1 Tushar Shahani 3-1, in that order.

The trio of Fadte, Shahani and Veer Chotrani of Mumbai will feature in both teams. Abhay Singh, Aditya Raghavan and Aryaman Adik also are in the under-19 team, while Saksham Choudhary is the other player in the under-17 squad.

The teams: Boys U-19: Abhay Singh, Aditya Raghavan, Tushar Shahani, Yash Fadte, Veer Chotrani, Aryaman Adik.

Boys U-17: Saksham Choudhary, Tushar Shahani, Yash Fadte, Veer Chotrani.