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Squash Championship 2026 Begins in Chandigarh With UK, Sri Lanka

IAF International Squash Championship Begins in Chandigarh with Teams From The UK and Sri Lanka

The Indian Air Force International Squash Championship 2026 began at the Base Repair Depot, Air Force Station Chandigarh, on Monday, bringing teams from India, the United Kingdom and Sri Lanka into competition. The tournament will run until 4 September and includes team events and an open singles category.

Air Chief Marshal AP Singh, Chief of the Air Staff, attended the opening ceremony as chief guest. He welcomed the participating players and spoke about the role of international sporting events in building friendship and mutual respect between countries. He later joined a friendly squash match with Air Marshal M Baladitya (Retd) and Captain Dan Peskett of the United Kingdom.

Six teams are taking part in the championship. The field includes two overseas teams, representing the United Kingdom and Sri Lanka, as well as veterans. The competition will allow Indian players to face players from outside the country while also bringing former service personnel into the tournament.

The championship is being held at the Air Force’s Base Repair Depot in Chandigarh. Government records identify No. 3 Base Repair Depot at Air Force Station Chandigarh as a major Indian Air Force facility. The site has also been involved in work related to aircraft equipment and aviation spares.

For the Indian Air Force, the event also fits into a longer association between military service and sport. Squash has a particular connection with the armed forces in India. The Squash Rackets Federation of India says the sport was introduced to India by the British more than two centuries ago and was played in military cantonments as well as private clubs. It later developed into an organised competitive sport through the national federation.

The Services have remained a major force in Indian sport. The Services Sports Control Board, which represents the Armed Forces in multi-sport competitions, included squash among the 23 disciplines contested by its contingent at the 37th National Games in Goa in 2023. Around 500 Armed Forces personnel were part of that contingent.

The record of the Services at the National Games also shows the scale of their sporting programme. At the 36th National Games in Gujarat in 2022, the Services Sports Control Board finished first in the medal table with 128 medals, including 61 gold, 35 silver and 32 bronze. It was the fourth consecutive National Games overall title for the Services.

Squash itself has become more firmly established in India’s international sporting programme. The Squash Rackets Federation of India says the sport gained a major boost in 2014, when India won gold medals in squash at both the Commonwealth Games and the Asian Games. The federation is affiliated with the World Squash Federation and Asian Squash Federation and works with affiliated state associations to develop the sport in India.

The timing of the Chandigarh championship also comes during a busy period for international squash. The Asian Squash Federation calendar lists several major events in 2026, including the FISU World University Squash Championships in Mumbai, the World Squash Masters Championships in Perth and the Asian Games in Nagoya, Japan. The calendar places the World Squash Masters Championships from 30 August to 6 September, overlapping with the Chandigarh championship.

India has also been hosting more international squash events. In July 2026, Mumbai hosted the FISU World University Squash Championships, with matches played on five World Squash Federation-certified courts. India fielded a six-member team at that competition.

The Chandigarh tournament therefore arrives at a time when squash in India is being played across several levels, from university competitions and national events to international championships. The presence of overseas players in Chandigarh adds another level of competition for Indian participants.

Air Chief Marshal AP Singh’s participation also reflects the wider place of sport within the Indian Air Force. AP Singh took charge as Chief of the Air Staff in September 2024. He was commissioned into the fighter stream of the Indian Air Force in December 1984 and has more than 5,000 hours of flying experience. Before becoming Chief of the Air Staff, he served as Vice Chief of the Air Staff.

Air Marshal M Baladitya, who took part in the friendly match, has his own long record in squash. Available service records describe him as a former Air Force squash champion and a player who represented the Services at national competitions. Records also note his involvement with the Services Sports Control Board during his Air Force career.

For the players, the main competition now moves to the courts, with the championship scheduled to continue through 4 September. The mix of national players, international teams and veterans gives the event three distinct groups of competitors, while the open singles category provides an individual contest alongside the team matches.

The Indian Air Force International Squash Championship 2026 is thus being held as part of a wider sporting calendar that has given squash a stronger presence in Indian military and civilian sport. Its Chandigarh setting also places an international squash competition inside an Indian Air Force facility, with players from India, the United Kingdom and Sri Lanka meeting over four days of competition.