Anahat Singh was merely 14 years old when she became the youngest Indian to be part of a multi-sport contingent, heading to the Commonwealth Games in 2022. Four years later, ranked 20th in the world, the 18-year-old squash player heads to the Asian Games in Aichi-Nagoya, with a handful of wins over Top 20 opponents. Winning an individual gold at the Asian Games automatically qualifies her for the 2028 LA Olympics, the goal that she and her camp had set out to achieve when the sport was announced as a part of the upcoming Games.The ascent has been rapid, but her path to the podium could depend on how quickly her physical development catches up with her precocious talent.By rankings, the Indian is third in Asia. But in a tournament where matches come thick and fast, there are still elements of her game that need developing.After winning the Jr World Championships recently, Anahat spoke to this paper about how physicality was an aspect she was working on and that adding muscle mass could unlock the next version of her game. Anahat in action. (PSA)“My coaches say I’m good at the fancy stuff but maintaining a level and being strong and consistent throughout the tournament… I think that would make a huge difference towards the mental aspect. It would give me more confidence and belief that I can have a good match and beat some of the top players,” Anahat told The Indian Express earlier this year.Ranked ahead of Anahat are Malaysia’s Sivasangari Subramanium (WR 5) and Japan’s Satomi Watanabe (WR 6), but there are others in a deep field who have the ability to hurt the Indian’s chances. Aira Azman from Malaysia and Sin Yuk Chan from Hong Kong will both be in the reckoning once the squash events begin at the Nagoya Kinjo-Futo Arena from September 23 onwards.But it’s the threat of Sivasangari and Watanabe that Anahat will be looking at particularly closely. She has suffered losses to both this year, with Sivasangari dispatching the Indian in three games in a 17-minute drubbing in the London Classic quarterfinals.Story continues below this adSivasangari trained closely with former Malaysian world champion Nicol David in her formative years and battled adversity when she was almost out of the sport after an accident in Kuala Lumpur. Now ranked fifth in the world, the Malaysian is the strongest challenge to Anahat’s path to gold.Watanabe, on the other hand, may have beaten the Indian, but Anahat’s stock rose in the loss. Watanabe moved to Malaysia from Japan all alone at the age of 12, when she realised that there was a lack of sparring partners in her home country. Anahat, freshly transitioning from the juniors to the seniors circuit, took the Japanese trailblazer – the highest-ever ranked women’s player from her country – to five games.The top-ranked Indian, for her part, has made a convincing start to her nascent senior career. She beat Hana Moataz on the way to winning the JSW Indian Open and then took down World No. 9 Gina Kennedy in the Squash on Fire Open final – two wins that have shown just how much of a problem she is becoming for higher-ranked players.Even in certain losses – she took a game off Hania El Hammamy at the El Gouna International – Anahat showed that she had a foundation that could be built upon and levelled up. What has been missing, though, is the experience and know-how of playing against players consistently ranked in the Top 30, something that will only come with time at the senior level.Story continues below this adAt the Asian Games, her seeding has ensured a direct start from the Round of 16. The quarterfinals could see her go up against compatriot Tanvi Khanna, and a win there would lead to a potential semi-final against Watanabe, who is on Anahat’s side of the draw. Victory in the semis and a possible final against defending champion Sivasangari await.