Squash boom in India hinges on grassroots push, says Chiripal academy

When the Chiripal Gujarat State Squash Championship 2026 crowned 11 champions across categories last week, the turnout was encouraging. But behind the trophies and the applause lies a harder question: can India turn this momentum into a lasting squash boom, especially with the Los Angeles Olympics on the horizon?

For Chiripal Squash Excellence, the academy at the centre of the recent state championship, the answer is not just about producing more courts or better coaching. It is about changing a mindset — one where a child telling their parents they want to be an athlete is not treated as an anomaly.

The Parent Problem

“It is very rare for a kid to tell parents, 'I want to be an athlete',” a representative from Chiripal Squash Excellence said, pointing to the core obstacle in Indian sports development. Unlike cricket, where parental approval is almost automatic, squash remains a niche pursuit. Most parents still steer children toward engineering or medicine, viewing sport as a hobby rather than a career.

This cultural hesitation is what the academy aims to counter. By hosting state-level tournaments and youth clinics, Chiripal is trying to normalise squash as a viable path — not just for the already-committed, but for families who have never considered it.

Olympics as a Catalyst

The Los Angeles Olympics, where squash will feature for only the second time after its debut in 2028, is a clear deadline. India has shown promise in the sport internationally, but consistency at the highest level remains elusive. The Chiripal academy's preparations are geared toward that quadrennial cycle, with a focus on identifying talent early and giving them structured exposure.

Yet, as the academy itself acknowledges, infrastructure alone won't do the job. Squash needs a feeder system — schools that introduce the sport, coaches who can spot raw potential, and a competitive calendar that keeps young players engaged. The state championship is one such rung, but it needs many more.

Beyond the Courts

What India needs, according to those involved, is a multi-pronged approach. Corporate sponsorship can fund academies, but grassroots programmes require government support and school-level integration. Media coverage, too, has to move beyond cricket and the Olympics to include regular domestic events.

There is also the question of role models. When a young squash player sees an Indian name on the world stage, it makes the dream tangible. But until then, the onus is on academies like Chiripal to keep the pipeline flowing — one tournament, one coaching camp, one parent conversation at a time.

What to Watch

With the next few years leading up to LA, the focus will be on how many young Indians take up squash and stick with it. The academy's next steps — expanding its grassroots clinics and scouting beyond Gujarat — could set the template for other states. For now, the sport's growth hinges on whether more parents start hearing that rare sentence from their children, and choose to say yes.