Squash — Step-by-Step Roadmap
The whole Squash journey, 0 to 100, in order: the four stages from a local club to the international level, who can start, the detailed route with trials and selection rules, where to train, who pays, and the jobs and money after. Every step is taken from the same official sources as the main Squash guide.
Zero to podium — the four stages
-
Stage 1 · Any age Grassroots & local entry
Learn at a club, academy or state-association court — SAI centres do not offer squash. [9]
-
Stage 2 · Junior · senior PSA tour breakthrough
Play PSA tour events to earn world-ranking points — e.g. Velavan Senthilkumar won the PSA Budapest Open. [6]
-
Stage 3 · Senior India team
Asian Games, Asian and World Championships — India's Abhay Singh and Anahat Singh took silver at the 2026 Asian Games. [3]
-
Stage 4 · LA28 International orbit
Squash's first Olympics: 16 players per gender. Be in the PSA world top 50 on 22 May 2028, win a continental title, or take the last place at the world qualifier. [2]
Fuel, from stage 1: food first. Pair cereals with pulses about 3:1 — roti or rice with dal, chana or rajma; vegetarians add milk or curd, others eggs, fish or meat. ICMR-NIN says most athletes get enough protein from food and protein powders are unnecessary; NADA warns that no supplement is risk-free. [14][15]
Ranking, safety and anti-doping
- For the Olympics the key number is the PSA world ranking — be inside the top 50 on 22 May 2028. Universality places need a top-75 ranking. [2]
- Wear eyewear made to a proper national standard; it is mandatory in junior and doubles events. [1]
- Under the anti-doping code you must be available for testing and check every medicine against the Prohibited List; apply to NADA for a TUE if you need a banned medicine. [8]
From the club court to the PSA tour
The squash ladder [9][6][3][2]
| Step | What happens |
|---|---|
| 1. Club & state | Learn at a club, academy or state-association court (SAI centres do not offer squash) |
| 2. PSA events | Play PSA tour events to earn world-ranking points — e.g. Velavan Senthilkumar won the PSA Budapest Open |
| 3. India team | Asian Games, Asian and World Championships |
| 4. LA28 | PSA top 50 by 22 May 2028, or a continental title |
Where squash players train
- Squash is not among the sports at SAI's National Centres of Excellence or SAI Training Centres, so players train at clubs, academies and state-association courts. [9]
Courts, rackets and who pays
- Costs come from court time, coaching, rackets, shoes, eyewear and travel to PSA events. Education Margdarshan does not print shop prices — no governing body publishes them. [1]
Who pays — squash ladder [10]
| Stage | Paid by | What you get |
|---|---|---|
| Khelo India athlete | Ministry of Youth Affairs & Sports | ₹6.28 lakh a year incl. ₹1.20 lakh cash |
| Olympic prospect (LA28 is squash's first Games) | TOPS Core Group | ₹50,000 a month + approved training plan |
| Athlete in hardship | PDU National Welfare Fund | Up to ₹2.50 lakh |
Awards, pension and sports-quota jobs
- Squash is one of the 65 sports in the central sports quota for Group C posts, with up to 5 years' age relaxation (10 for SC/ST).
- Medals at the Olympics, Asian Games, Commonwealth Games or World Championships can bring up to three out-of-turn promotions. [11]
- Pension to Meritorious Sportspersons: ₹12,000–20,000 a month after retirement. [10]
Where this roadmap comes from
The sources cited on this page, numbered as on the main Squash guide, read on 17 October 2026. Trials, age rules and scheme amounts change — open the current file before you act on it.
- World Squash — Singles Rules 2025 (effective 1 Sep 2025; copy published by the Dutch squash federation) (opens in a new tab) Scoring, intervals, good return, let and stroke, protective eyewear · Last checked 17 Oct 2026
- World Squash — Qualification System, LA28 Olympic Games: Squash (version 22 June 2026; copy published by the Namibian NOC) (opens in a new tab) 16 per gender, PSA top 50 on 22 May 2028, continental Games winners, ranking places, universality, final qualifier · Last checked 17 Oct 2026
- All India Radio News — India clinches two silver medals in squash at Asian Games (2026) (opens in a new tab) Abhay Singh and Anahat Singh singles silver; finals lost to Malaysia · Last checked 17 Oct 2026
- All India Radio News — Velavan Senthilkumar wins PSA Budapest Squash Open title (opens in a new tab) PSA tour title for an Indian player · Last checked 17 Oct 2026
- NADA India — Athlete's Rights & Responsibilities (opens in a new tab) Testing availability, Prohibited List, TUE · Last checked 17 Oct 2026
- SAI — Brief on Sports Promotional Schemes 2024-25 (opens in a new tab) NCOE and STC sport lists (squash not included) · Last checked 17 Oct 2026
- PIB — Financial Support to Athletes (5 Aug 2024) (opens in a new tab) Khelo India, TOPS, welfare fund, pension · Last checked 17 Oct 2026
- DoPT — Instructions on Recruitment/Promotion for Sportspersons (18 Nov 2022) (opens in a new tab) Squash in the 65-sport list, Group C, out-of-turn promotion · Last checked 17 Oct 2026
- ICMR-National Institute of Nutrition — Dietary Guidelines for Indians (booklet), Guideline 8 (opens in a new tab) Cereal-pulse 3:1 protein quality, vegetarian and non-vegetarian protein sources; most athletes meet protein needs from food, protein powders unnecessary · Last checked 19 Oct 2026
- NADA India — Managing the Risk of Nutritional Supplements (opens in a new tab) Supplement risk, strict liability, food-first approach · Last checked 15 Oct 2026
The rules and scoring, recognition, the traps to avoid and player doubts.