CHENNAI: When Punjabis crave for rich yet non-spicy food, the go-to option is the mouthwatering butter chicken masala. Not for Abhay Singh. The squash player who loves tasting new cuisines prefers cheesecake — blueberry in particular — any day over other dishes.
This has been a great start to the year for junior players of the Indian Squash Academy (ISA) in terms of trophies. Medals increase expectations. To fulfil them, one has to make sacrifices. For Abhay, cutting down on desserts and junk food was hard. He remembers getting an earful from the national coach Cyrus Poncha in 2014 after an intense training session. That was a big wake-up call.
“I was a fat kid and had to make a lot of changes in my diet to take care of my physique. People advised me to be more serious and change my attitude. It was difficult at first. But I am enjoying it. The changes are helping me improve my game,” Abhay told City Express after an evening session of training at ISA. Trainees have won medals in top events like the junior British Open this year.
As a kid, the Asian Junior Championship gold medallist loved football. Red Devil at heart, Abhay even used to play as a striker for Lady Andal School in Chetpet. These days, he barely gets time for football.
“Almost everyone in my family is a fan of Manchester United. A lot of relatives and cousins live in Manchester and they passed on the trend. I rarely play football these days. A lot of concentration is required for squash and I am drained by the time practice sessions are over,” he added.
But he updates himself with latest news and relies on virtual satisfaction. FIFA 17 has been a saviour for him. “I used to go for tournaments in Blur and other places in Chennai a couple of years back. Nowadays, I just play online and manager mode sitting at home. It is the best entertainment and is very addictive.”
Abhay is awaiting admission letters from universities in the UK and the US. Sports management is his preferred subject. “UK is a better option for me because I can continue playing squash. Playing more tournaments and PSA events will help when I turn pro. In the US, there are certain restrictions,” shared the 18-year-old.