Vivek Menezes
After an extraordinary four years conquering the high-powered US college squash circuit, Yash Fadte is back home in Goa, turning down an impressive job offer in wealth management that would have allowed him to live comfortably in America. The 2028 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles will feature squash for the very first time, and our young champion from Vasco da Gama has set his eyes on glory for India. Already, while making a difficult leap from India’s smallest state, he became an All-American and led the University of Rochester to its first Hoehn Cup, and won the 2024 Skillman Award for embodying “the highest ideals of college squash.”
Yash has always blazed a historic trail of victories: the Under-19 Asian Juniors, Junior French Open, and Junior US Open. Recalling that moment in a busy café in Panjim earlier this week, the 23-year-old told me, “I’m a boy from the small state of Goa, with no background in squash and no institutional support, who has always been doubted — what can a boy from Goa really do?” Nonetheless, he took the gamble: “Since I had been traveling internationally for squash from a young age, culture shock didn’t really affect me. What did challenge me, though, was the academic system. The American education structure is totally different from what I was used to in Goa, India. The first few weeks were especially difficult, but I was lucky to make great friends and have great professors.”
We know Yash exceeded all expectations at Rochester because his coach says, “His presence and impact will be felt for years to come.” Yash says that “my parents have gone out of their way to support me in every possible way, and because of them, I never felt the lack of support from the government or other institutions. Frankly, if I had relied on that kind of external support, I wouldn’t have gotten anywhere.” His father Dilip puts it even more directly: “In my opinion, if you have the financial means, you should push your children into sports without expecting anything from the government. If you depend on government support or external help, it will only spoil your child’s career. We’ve had very bad experiences in this area. Despite Goa being one of the best environments for sports, politics have ruined the potential.”
Sixty-two-year-old Dilip — everyone calls him “Phantom” — is himself an outstanding sportsman who played Ranji Trophy matches for Goa, as well as some county cricket in England, and the family athletic legacy extends to Yash’s twin Om — another promising cricketer — and Dilip’s own brother, the renowned 1980s batsman Namdev Phadte. That family history has played on Dilip’s mind: “Namdev played for the Board President’s XI under the captaincy of Kapil Dev, and at the time he was regularly playing matches against touring international sides like Australia. He was also a consistent performer for the South Zone. Unfortunately, we were going through significant financial difficulties back then, and he had to accept a job offer from the National Bank of Abu Dhabi. If he had stayed, I am 100% certain he would have played for India at the highest level. That experience stayed with me — I always felt that my brother had the ability, but couldn’t reach the final step. So, I made it my mission to ensure that my children had every opportunity possible to chase their dreams.”
To get to the Olympics is another league altogether, however. Phantom says, “Yash has reached a level where he needs sustained backing to compete freely, and focus entirely on making the national team and qualifying for the Olympics. While the government has promised financial help over the past 8–10 years, the truth is that nothing has ever materialized. At this stage, we are definitely looking for support, especially financial sponsorships.”
Now is truly crunch time to come through for Yash, who is clearly pursuing a medal with his home state in mind. He told me that “This dream represents something much bigger. I want to set an example for others who doubt themselves or are doubted by others. I truly believe Goa has the potential to produce world-class athletes, and I want to lead by example.”