With dreams of playing squash professionally, senior Riya Navani has committed to Stanford for squash, Navani’s close friend Ria Pandya said. Ranking 92nd globally in the world of squash, Navani is a very sought-after talent, Pandya said.
When she initially started at age seven, Navani had no interest in squash, Navani said. She started playing squash as a pastime with her brother, however, she has grown to love the sport and is ready to play competitively on a team in college, she added.
“I know that I’ll be motivated to improve because in college, as a team, you know that you’re not just playing for yourself anymore,” Navani said. “You’re playing for a whole team. You’re playing for a school.”
Although she has gotten many other offers from different schools, many of them were on the east coast, and she wanted to stay closer to home, Navani said. She visited many schools but, in the end, she settled on Stanford, she added.
“For me, my personality, and where I’ve grown up, it made the most sense to me, and I could see myself here,” Navani said.
Navani knew that Stanford squash was the best fit for her not only because of the weather, but also because she is very close with many of the girls on the Stanford squash team from many previous events, she added.
“The energy that you get when there’s ten girls outside cheering for you, that’s kind of the energy and atmosphere that I’m excited for,” Navani said.
She is ready to start her career in a team setting but most of her squash achievements till now have been on her own, Navani’s close friend Muskan Gupta said.
“She’ll wake up hours before school to work out and then she’ll come to school, do amazing things at school, and then go to her squash training sessions,” Pandya said.
Navani’s dedication to the sport is very palpable in her commitment to her regimen, and her commitment has led to her success, Gupta said.
“The biggest tournaments I’ve played, the most prestigious ones, are the World Junior Championships and the British Junior Open, on the junior scale,” Navani said. “On the professional side of my career, I’ve played some tournaments as well but I’m still growing in that sense.”
Playing in over 200 tournaments, Navani has been learning squash from the time she was seven and has grown into the powerhouse she is now, Navani said.
“I’ve played in tons of countries,” Navani said. “I’ve been to Europe at least four or five times. This past summer, I was in Australia for the World Juniors.”
Every athlete shows off their trophies and victories, but that isn’t the most important part of an athlete’s journey, Navani said.
“The hardest part is the journey or the times when you lose, which is more than you win, and just being able to bounce back repeatedly from these losses,” Navani said.
The passion and strength that Navani uses to grow in squash also push her in her daily life, Gupta said. Her squash playing has helped her grow a strong character, Gupta added.
“It’s taught me how to use my competitive edge in every part of my life and, not as a bad thing, but just to always push myself for more,” Navani said.
Navani has helped inspire many other students to push themselves, including her friends, Pandya said.
“I’ve seen her juggle high school and squash at the same time, which is very hard to do, especially with her level, and she’s grown so much as a student-athlete, which is very inspiring,” Pandya said.