Squash has been played in India since the pre-war days. To a large extent it was
introduced by the British forces that built squash courts in military cantonments
and private clubs as an outlet for their sporting interests. In the early days squash
had the following of a smattering few who were either from the forces, members of
private clubs or children returning from studies abroad. It certainly fitted the
name it was given at that time – a bourgeois sport. An organised activity for the
promotion of the game was non-existent. Over time, however, things changed. The
Squash Rackets Federation of India (SRFI) was formed to oversee the promotion and
development of the sport in India. Needless to mention results did not rush in with
a gush as a lack of systematic structure was posing unending problems. Non-existence
of public facilities, lack of qualified manpower and public awareness of the game
was pathetic. As time went on we saw minor improvement in the situation. 5 years
ago the SRFI forged ahead with some dynamic plans. Squash promotion, development
and performance at all levels in India have escalated more in the last 10 years
than in the last 50.
The SRFI headquarters is currently in Chennai. It has more than 20 State Associations
and affiliated units. All these units are actively involved in the promotion and
development of the game. As is usually the case with many sports, the metros have
dominated in terms of activities and creditable performances. Mumbai, Delhi, Kolkata
and Chennai are the current front-runners. Nevertheless it is the aspiration of
the association that every one gets a fair share of the pie.
Over the last few years the Squash Rackets Federation of India has formalised a
long term development plan to transform India into one of the leading countries
on the world circuit. A lot of effort has gone into nurturing and developing our
juniors and we are delighted with our performances over the past decade. The last
few years have been the coming of age of Indian squash, with our players winning
laurels at the international arena.