Squash Wrapped Up the Second Day of CSA Individual National Championships

Saturday, January 24

New York, N.Y.

All Day

Columbia University

CSA Individual Championships

Photo by: Columbia University Athletics / Stockton Photo, Inc.

Squash Wrapped Up the Second Day of CSA Individual National Championships

1/24/2026 8:35:00 PM | Men's Squash, Women's Squash

Franklyn Smith and Ahmad Haq are set to compete in the final round of the Men's Plate Pool B division

NEW YORK — Senior Franklyn Smith battled in a gritty four-set contest to secure his spot in the championship round of the Men Plate Pool B division of the CSA Individual National Championships tomorrow inside Open Squash FiDi on Saturday night.

Smith defeated Dhirren Rajarathinam of Rochester in a four-set battle. The England native dropped the second set before taking over for a spot in the final round, 11-8, 6-11, 11-7, 11-5. Smith is set to face teammate, first-year Ahmad Haq, tomorrow at 1:10pm.

First year Yeheni Kurrupu secured the first win of the day, outlasting Amherst's
Quincy D. Cline. Kurrupu dominated from start to end with a convincing win, 11-9, 11-4, 11-9. The Sri Lankan advanced to the semifinal round, facing off against Yale's Eedha Mehta, but came up short 12-10, 9-11, 9-11, 9-11.

Senior Nourin Khalifa took the matchup against Dickinson's Anabel Romero Gemmell to the fifth. The attempt to come back was not enough as she concluded the final match this weekend, 9-11, 16-14, 7-11, 11-5, 6-11.

Sophomore Shaurya Bawa continues his run in the Men's Consolidated bracket after advancing through two tough rounds on Saturday. The Lion defeated Penn's Alexander Dartnell in four games before outlasting Harvard's Maddox Moxham in a five-game semifinal, earning a spot in Sunday's final against Trinity's Huzaifa Ibrahim, scheduled for 2:50 p.m. at Court FiDi4.
Junior Arhan Chandra battled through four games for Columbia, opening the match with a strong first-game win. Yale's Arav Bhagwati responded by taking the next three games to secure the victory (11-5, 4-11, 7-11, 6-11).

Sophomore Yusuf Sheikh pushed the match to five games for Columbia, trading momentum throughout a back-and-forth battle. Despite taking the second and fourth games, Sheikh ultimately fell in the deciding fifth game to Penn's Salman Khalil (8-11,11-9, 7-11, 11-6, 2-11).

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