When Yash Fadte first saw his father playing squash at theNaval club, he was intrigued and then got interested in taking up the sport. Ithas, in the words of his father, been a rather fast journey for the boy of 11who is now the top ranked player in his age group in Asia and in the country.
Yash said “I loved the speed of the sport and yes retrievingthe ball from bad positions. It is what makes me love this game so much”. For ayoung boy who first held the racquet in 2008, Yash has been creating waves atthe national and international level. His father Dilip an ex state cricketerand now squash player said “His early success scared me a bit but I knew Iwould have to do what any father would have to do to ensure that their childrendo well”.
A businessman now, Dilip says it is vital to have a plan toensure Yash succeeds in his endeavour to be world no 1. He say’s “I have no problemspending money but he has to keep performing consistently. I am planning tobuild a private squash court to ensure that he has the time to practice withoutbeing interrupted. This should cost me approximately Rs.8.5 lacs. It will alsohelp popularize the sport in the state. “
Practice is rigorous and is held every day at the squashcourt at the Naval officers institute in Vasco from 3.30 to 7pm. This meansthat his day is planned right down to the last minute. After school a tutorcomes over to spend time with him to ensure that studies are completed ontime. Yash and his father run on thebeach once a week to build stamina and speed. As his father says, stamina isvery important in sport and in squash a very vital aspect.
For his coach Rehman Sayed, the improvement shown by theyoung boy has made him very happy but it is a step towards the eventual goal ofa gold medal at the 2020 Olympics. He said” we are working on a plan and tilldate we are on schedule. He is picking up fast and the seniors in the game inIndia have remarked well on his talent and stroke play.”
He is expected to leave for Chennai towards the end of thismonth to participate in the national school games. The fan of Ramy MohamedAshour would like to achieve as much as his idol and his win last year in HongKong gave him the confidence to go out and achieve on the international stage.
As his mother say’s “My son is talented and I am very proudand I hope he achieves all his dreams”.
