Garhwal Post Bureau
Dehradun, 30 Oct: Unnati Tripathi, a second-year student of Graphic Era Deemed to be University, has created history by becoming the university’s first-ever National Champion in the Girls’ Under-19 category at the 2026 Sub-Junior and Junior National Squash Championships held at Sawai Mansingh Stadium, Jaipur, from 23 to 29 October. The championship witnessed participation from more than 700 players across the country in 10 categories.
Entering the tournament as the third seed, Unnati delivered an outstanding performance, defeating second seed Anika Dubey of Maharashtra 3–1 in the semi-final. She continued her impressive run in the final, overcoming top seed Akanksha Gupta, also from Maharashtra, by an identical 3–1 margin to clinch the national title.
Although she has secured several national-level victories, this marks her maiden National Championship title. Representing India internationally since 2019, Unnati has competed in the Asian Junior and World Junior Championships, representing the country in international tournaments across Korea, China, Egypt, the United States and Pakistan.
Currently ranked 155th in the Professional Squash Association (PSA) world rankings, Unnati holds the No. 3 position in India’s Girls’ Under-19 category and No. 6 in the women’s category. Despite the disappointment of missing selection for the 2026 Asian Games, she has channelled the setback into renewed determination and intensified preparation.
With her sights set on qualifying for the 2028 Olympic Games in Los Angeles, Unnati aims to break into the world’s top 100 within the next six months and reach the top 50 by December 2027. She hopes her national triumph will open new doors to sponsorship and institutional support, enabling her to participate in more PSA international tournaments abroad and train alongside some of the world’s leading players. Such exposure and opportunities would be invaluable in strengthening her international standing and bringing her closer to her Olympic dream.
