Bengaluru: "I cannot believe you are embarking on this journey once more!" former world champion and Egyptian professional Tarek Momen messaged Saurav Ghosal on Sunday. This was the evening when the 38-year-old Indian secured victory at the Octane Sydney Classic, a PSA Challenger title, marking his return from retirement and his eleventh PSA title overall. This achievement followed a year after his last PSA competition at the Windy City Open in Chicago in February 2023.

Saurav, the first Indian male player to enter the top-10 rankings, had declared his retirement in April of the previous year after more than twenty years on the PSA Tour. However, by the end of that year, he was preparing to re-engage with the sport, aiming to create geometric angles and manoeuvre his body across the court once again. His ultimate aspiration is the Los Angeles 2028 Olympics, where squash will make its debut. For someone who has dedicated decades to the Tour advocating for the sport's inclusion in the Olympics, it felt like a monumental opportunity not to be missed. Although three years remain until the event, Saurav is realistic about his age, with the more immediate target being the Asian Games, which is just over a year away.

"When I retired, I still had the desire to represent India. However, I wanted to return only if I believed I could contribute meaningfully. I did not wish to participate merely to fill a spot. My goal was to come back and achieve victories. To do that, I needed some time away to assess whether I still possessed the mental drive to pursue it passionately," Saurav shared with HT.

By the end of summer, Saurav had found his answer. The subsequent question was whether he remained physically fit. He commenced training in the third week of August. "The initial weeks were incredibly challenging. After years of training, taking a break for four or five months made me feel as though all my skills had vanished. However, after a few weeks, my abilities began to return, and I started to feel more balanced during training sessions."

He then traveled to the United States to consult with his former coach David Palmer and physical trainer Damon Brown, where he proposed the idea of a comeback. "They encouraged me to push myself."

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