The Professional Squash Association (PSA) has a habit to staging its tournaments at some of the world’s most prestigious places, which use glass courts that offer to see from every angle. From Giza’s pyramids to the Eiffel Tower in Paris and New York’s Grand Central Terminal, these settings have converted the squash into a spectacle.
Now, that spectacle is coming to India.
This Thursday, the semi-finals and for the first time in the country, the finals of the PSA Copper event- JSW Indian Open- will be played in a state-of-the-art Glass Court in the historic Bombay Gymkhana, which has been immersed in sports tradition over a century.
The tournament, which is closed on Monday, is part of the PSA’s prestigious copper-tier events and offers important ranking points and prizes.
While Mumbai has first seen temporary glass courts, this is the first time a tournament of this height will be played on one, which will bring a world-class, audience-friendly experience to the city. The transparent court designed for optimal visibility is more like a showcase for sports, drawing it out of traditional boundaries and public’s eyes.
The enthusiasm around the incident cannot come at a better time. Squash is riding a wave of global motion, ending its long -awaited space at the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics after years of lobbying. It is now sealed with its Olympic future, seeing an increase in sports investment and sponsorship.
The glass court
The center of the incident has a state-of-the-art glass court, including 50-60 fine engineer glass panels that are bolt together. The court has to meet strict PSA international standards. The organizers have told the Indian Express that the cost of the establishment of the court is about 15-17 lakh rupees for about three days.
But the real challenge? Only glass. Each panel undergoes rigorous tests to ensure that it completely mimics a traditional squash court’s rebound and speed, allowing players to compete with full intensity without adjusting their technology. To increase visibility, the glass is treated specifically to reduce the dazzle, preventing disruptive reflections that can affect both players and live broadcasting.
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Bombay Gymkhana Squash Secretary Sumit Rewari said that watching squash on a glass court is really an experience, one hopes them to inspire others to take the game.
“The experience of the spectator is extremely important for the game, whether they are at the venue or watching live stream. The game spreads in this way. You can see how much the most popular games earn through media rights.
“It would always be much better to see the players playing in the glass court, because you will never have the same effect on the glass-back court. Here you can see every angle. We have felt like a stadium around it to accommodate more people. It will be like a celebration of squash, and it maintains the 150th year celebration of Bombay Gymkhana.”
To fill the squash
The having ‘Olympic’ tag gave squash very important boost, and it has completely changed the intensity of the game. Kishore sensation Anahat Singh, who is a female player in India’s top position, told The Indian Express that the ranking is never focused before.
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“Earlier, the ranking was only a means of qualifying for big competitions. Now, even though the Olympic selection criteria are not yet out, we know that our ranking will be the final decisive. This means that everyone is more difficult than ever,” he said.
Only a limited number of Olympic spots are available – only two each for men and women – Indian players are ready for a fierce fight on both international and national circuits.
Only this week, Anahat climbed a career-first world number 68 in the latest PSA World Rankings, which overtook Akanka Salunke (World No. 69) to become India’s top female squash player.
India’s top-ranked male player Ramit Tandon, who lost his pre-fourth match on Tuesday, said Indians should target to play in silver and high tournaments.
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“Due to my ranking (World No. 28), I join these big tournaments, and this is a great way to stay on top. For us, Indians to qualify for big tournaments, it is necessary that we have tournaments like Indian Open, so players do not have the burden of traveling. The benefits of the house can also work.”
Being a top level international squash tournament, India is at the moment and it has vowed to improve some Inspire Institute of Sport (IIS) and JSW, tournament.
JSW Sports COO, Divanshu Singh, told the newspaper, “One of the challenges facing sports ecosystems in various subjects is a lack of international competitive tournaments. So India is an attempt to get high quality international tournaments in India,” he said that they make four years of deal with India.
Still not a collective game
While the craze for squash has increased in the last one year, the access of courts is the major issue. For example, in Mumbai, there are no public squash courts; One can only play the game if they are members of a gymkhana or club that features.
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Singh said that the initial boost is to come from sports promoters.
“As the brand and media start looking at the audience both on the ground and on Livestream, it can gradually translate into more and more commercial and sponsored interests. It can help in the game,” he said, pickle and Padale, pickle and padale courts, referring to the number of courts that have come to all.
Public courts, limited infrastructure, and large -scale appeal to stop access to the squash. But with such high-profile events, increase in investment, and Olympics in three years, changing speed.
