Who is Shaurya Bawa? All you need to know about India's bronze medalist at the World Junior Squash Championship
Indian squash player Shaurya Bawa made history on Monday after he secured a bronze medal at the World Junior Squash Championships 2024 in Houston, Texas.
Bawa, who hails from New Delhi, lost in the men’s singles semi-finals against Egypt’s top-seeded player Mohamed Zakaria, who was the runner-up in last year’s championship. 18-year-old Bawa, who was seeded 17/32 in the men’s single event, gave a tough fight to Zakaria over 41 minutes, but ultimately lost in straight games with scores of 5-11, 5-11, 9-11.
He was born on September 23, 2005, to Rishi and Natasha Bawa. The ace squash player is known for his philanthropic work during COVID-19. He raised funds to help children who lost their parents to COVID-19 and also guided senior citizens to book COVID-19 vaccine appointments.
How did Shaurya Bawa fare at the World Junior Championship?
Despite the heartbreaking loss, Shaurya Bawa entered the history books, as he became only the second Indian male squash player, after Kush Kumar in 2014, to reach the semi-finals of the World Junior Squash Championships. Kumar also had succumbed to a defeat in straight sets in the semi-final.
Bawa will also be motivated by his performance in the quarter-finals, where he etched a magnificent comeback against Malaysia’s Low Wa Sern after trailing in three games. After the first three games, Wa Sern led 201, but Bawa showed determination and fight to ultimately secure the bronze medal by winning the match 2-11, 11-4, 10-12, 11-8, 12-10.
How has Shaurya Bawa fared earlier?
Bawa’s bronze medal in this year’s World Junior Squash Championships cemented his status as India’s squash prodigy. Bawa, ranked as India’s No. 1 junior squash player and Asia’s No. 4 in 2022, had previously represented India in the 2022 World Junior Championships, where he lost to France’s Laszlo Godde in the second round.
Shaurya Bawa has also represented India in the Asian Junior Individual Championships and Asian Junior Team Championships. The World Junior Championship bronze medalist has also won the Indian Public Schools’ Conference (IPSC) Squash Championship three times with his school team. He also finished second in the Boy’s Under-19 Division at the IPSC Championships each time.