PETALING JAYA: Rising squash player Simarver Singh’s inspiration to pick up a squash racquet came after meeting Malaysian icon Ong Beng Hee 10 years ago, and the youngster is now carving his own path, hoping to emulate his role model.

The 15-year-old, who is No. 1 in the Asian Junior Under-15 ranking, said a meeting with Beng Hee was the moment everything changed for him.

“When I was about five years old, I met Beng Hee. And he was the one who inspired me to start playing squash. I didn’t realise it then, but that was a defining moment for me,” said Simarver.

Beng Hee, who peaked at world No. 7, isn’t someone Simarver wants to just admire from afar, but to chase that path with purpose.

“At first, squash was just a casual thing for me. But when I was around seven, I started to treat it more seriously.

“I started playing harder and competed in more tournaments,” said Simarver, who now trains six days a week with gym sessions, sparring partners, and a dedicated coach.

Simarver’s hard work off the court has translated to fantastic results on court, having won all four of his recent campaigns.

He claimed victory in the Lion City Junior Open earlier this month in Singapore, and also won the individual and team events with Selangor at the Malaysia School Sports Council (MSSM) championships last month.

Simarver also captured the South-East Asian Junior Championships held in Bangkok last month.

He came close to clinching the title at the Squash Racquets Association of Federal Territory Kuala Lumpur (SRAFTKL) Junior Championships, but fell short to Hong Kong’s Matthew Hong in the final.

On balancing his time between studies and the squash courts, Simarver said it all comes down to discipline.

“I have gotten used to juggling both things. I always try to push myself during training. And even if I’m exhausted afterwards, I make sure to get all my schoolwork done.

“Even when I’m at tournaments, I always make sure that I’m studying whenever I can and not fooling around or being lazy,” he said.

With many youngsters competing to emerge as the next top national player, Simarver said the priority is to keep his eyes focused on himself, as the actions of others do not affect him.

“I do feel the pressure when I play against tough opponents. But I take it as motivation to improve and close the gap.

“I can’t control the other circumstances. It doesn’t matter who is cheering for me, I can only control myself,” he said.

Simarver’s next outing will be at the Penang Junior Open from July 8-13, and the rising player looks to be a shoo-in for the Under-15 title.