‘Means A Lot To Me…”: Anika Dubey, ‘Golden Girl Of Pune’ Secures Asian Junior Squash Silver In China

Pune, May 26: Sixteen-year-old Anika Dubey claimed silver at the Asian Junior Squash Championships in China, finishing runner-up against the continent's top juniors, and is believed by Maharashtra squash insiders to be the first player from Pune, and possibly the state, to reach this level.

Already known as the 'Golden Girl of Pune', Anika had secured an Asian medal at 14, and now stands among Asia's elite juniors, while fellow Chance2Sports Foundation athletes Vasundhara Nangare and Akanksha Gupta also represented India at this premier continental event.

Anika Dubey on the win

Speaking to Mykhel, Anika Dubey said, "This medal means a lot to me - but what it really means is every early morning when you push for that extra set, there is that moment you feel sometimes - let me take it easy. Some days the court was unforgiving, and the journey was endless, but I kept going because I knew nothing that you want comes easy. It all came together in one moment, standing on that podium in China with the best juniors in Asia."

Divya Dubey said that as a mother, she had watched her child wake up before sunrise, skip outings with friends, and choose squash over everything else, often wondering if it was too much to ask of someone so young. However, she added that Anika never once complained and simply worked with quiet dedication. She expressed that seeing her win the medal was not just a matter of pride but also brought relief and immense joy.

Program powering Pune squash

Anika is a product of the Chance2Sports Foundation Program powered by SportsSkill, an athlete-development setup created by SportsSkill co-founders Abhinav Sinha and Chetan Desai, who stress recovery, conditioning, movement quality, injury prevention and mental resilience alongside traditional court training.

Abhinav Sinha, a multiple-time national champion, linked the medal to this method, saying: "When you work with champions closely over many years, you realise recovery, movement quality, conditioning and discipline matter as much as hours on court. Anika embodies this. Her silver is not just a personal achievement — it is a statement about what structured, holistic development can produce."

Desai said: "I have been in sport for nearly 55 years, and I can say with conviction that what we are seeing from this generation of athletes is genuinely special. Anika's silver is the result of years of quiet, consistent work — on court, off court and in the mind. That is the only way champions are truly built."

Architect and support network

Before coaching, Abhinav Sinha was likely the first Pune player to compete regularly on the international junior circuit in 2009 and among the city's early professionals on the PSA tour, later becoming one of India's youngest team coaches, experience that shapes the SportsSkill–Chance2Sports training environment.

A key supporter has been the Kanga Kids Program, created by Deborah Kanga in memory of her late husband Noshir Kanga, which has backed Anika, Vasundhara and Akanksha for three to four years, alongside guidance from CCI regular Naval Pandole, a senior mentor for Chance2Sports.