Squash pro Ishant Shah looks back at the path that led him to Harvard

GEORGE TOWN – All Ishant Shah, 19, needed to know was that it is possible to have the best of both worlds; to be a professional squash player and a student at the pretigious Harvard University in the US. 

He looked up to the likes of Ali Amr Farag, the 2020-2021 World Champion and now the world No 2 by the Professional Squash Association (PSA), who graduated from Harvard University in 2014 with a degree in Mechanical Engineering.

“Yes, it is possible,” he told himself.

The journey to Harvard, however, is a story on its own.

The makings of a sportsman

Ishant was exposed to squash when he was five, and after gaining interest in the game, his parents enrolled him into the Nicol David Academy when he was seven.

He went through all the training levels to finally be among the elite and backup players. He was distinguished as the most improved player who went from the developmental stage to the elite level in just four months. 

At 13, he went to England to play his first match at the British Junior Open Squash 2016 in Sheffield. He was confident he would be able to push himself to the top eight, or better, to be in the top four. 

Unfortunately, he pulled his hamstring early on. Though he was determined to pull through to the next set, his coach had to pull him out of the game in the second set of his second match. At that point in time, to say he was disappointed would be an understatement.

“It was heartbreaking also because my parents had funded for my entire trip to the UK. For the next five days, I could just watch the games from the sidelines,” he told The Vibes.

After that incident, matters became worse as his cartilage thinned and he experienced a slipped disc. It was not until Form 4 that his body could function without pain and he could get his form back. By that time, he had grown to be a more mature player and understood how he could do better on the court.

Fast forward to January 2020, by then Ishant had played many senior circuits in Singapore and once again, he faced the British Junior Open Squash. 

Fear and faith became his audience.

He lost to USA professional squash player and Top 66 in the world, Sam Todd, in the finals. However, Ishant considered it a big breakthrough, and he was revving for more. 

Making academics a priority

The excitement of moving forward was hampered by the Covid-19 pandemic.

Suddenly, Ishant had no training to attend due to the nationwide lockdown that started mid of March. All he could do was sit at home and face his books as he was due to sit for his SPM examinations that year. 

“My father always told me that if I could not do two things in life then I would be a lousy sportsman because a sportsman should be able to manage according to the situation he faces.

“And at that time, I didn’t even have squash and therefore, the only focus I had was in my studies.

"I channelled everything I had to my studies because my goal throughout my schooling years was always to get 9 As for SPM.

“Those two years were really a turning point in my studies, not that I scored badly in my previous examinations, it’s just that I am often absent from school because of squash.”

Even his mother, Bharati Suresh Chand, didn’t think him a particularly academic person. In fact, the only time he touched his school books was in school because squash training spanned six days a week. He would rush from school to the court, and after that, he would eat his dinner en route to his tuition classes in the evening.

If he had homework, the bulk of it would be completed immediately during school hours or he would finish them at the squash centre. 

“I guess that is the reason why we go to school, right? To learn and to study.

“I don’t see any point of not focusing in class during lessons and trying to complete the work given if you are going to study the same thing when you come back home – that would be a waste of time,” he said.

Spoken like a true sportsman, he gave his 100% in school and 100% during his game on the squash court. His mother also attested to his method, saying that there are those who studied much more than he did but showed almost similar results.

He believed sports helped clear his head so he could absorb information better. He also attributed his success on and off the court to his squash coaches Aaron Soyza and Khoo Teng Hin, who have always been there to help him achieve his goals.

His parents, who were always supportive of his interest were always there to guide, sponsor and cheer him on during the toughest of matches and encourage him when he was in full-on studying mode. It created a conducive environment for him to achieve the goals he had.

He managed to get 8As for his SPM examinations. 

Road to Harvard

It has always been his aim to go professional, and since Form 4, he was already on the lookout for universities that had good coaches and a squash team. He had Harvard University on keep-in-view because he thought it was “too established” and “too high up” for him to achieve. 

But as his school grades got better, he began to feel more confident about applying to Ivy League schools.

It was then that Harvard became more of a possibility.

Bharati didn’t think her son would be accepted but she told him to apply for it anyway, so there will be no room for regret. His father, Atul Kumar, knew without a doubt that his son would be accepted.

Soon after he sent his application, Ishant had to sit through a series of interviews in which he enthusiastically shared his academic achievements. 

“Do you have anything else to share about yourself other than school or does your life just revolve around school?” the Harvard interviewee asked.

He stopped for a second before shifting gears, speeding onwards to tell the interviewee more about his success in the squash arena, the passing of his Grade 8 drums and his involvement with charity work during the Covid-19 pandemic.

He thought he needed to prove himself academically, but they were more interested in his activities outside the confines of school academics. It may be the crux of what paved the way for Harvard to give him one of their coveted spots. 

Harvard only accepted 3.19% out of 61,220 applicants from all around the world this year.

“I applied to other universities as well but Harvard was the first one I got back from and I was ecstatic!”

Ishant said he is looking to try the courses he is interested in during the first year before picking his major. He hopes to take up subjects involving sports science and pharmacology.

Unlike the Covid-19 lockdown period where he could place his total attention on his studies, Ishant believes that it will be a challenge to balance both his academics and squash. However, he is positive that by having dynamic priorities, he can move either one to the forefront when needed.

Ishant is currently a member of the Professional Squash Association and plans to make squash his professional career.

In an education system that emphasises heavily on academics, Ishant said it is also very important for students to spend time with themselves to figure out what they enjoy doing. It may or may not be sports, but pursuing an interest outside of school will make one a well-rounded person. 

The Penangite was one of six Malaysians who received admission into the oldest higher learning institution in the United States. He is set to begin his four-year journey in August. – The Vibes, April 15, 2022