Harshit Muchhal, pursuing BCom Hons (3rd year) at Hansraj College,Delhi University has inspired us all by winning a position among the Top 5 squash players in India. Harshit never had any second option and gave all his time to squash which leads to this huge success. Earlier, Harshit won many other accolades, one of which is Gold at All India Inter University Squash Championship.
Harshit never lost hope even after having Seven injuries before a tournament all he ever imagined was playing squash. Being in top five players and playing for the country can only be achieved through this hard and unbreaking determination.
1. What has inspired you throughout this success journey?
The sport itself is too fascinating to inspire me. I have always been around rackets and never lost interest in them. Apart from that, there are a lot of things and people who have inspired me to do better at every stage of my career. Any player who hits a particular shot better than me is an inspiration.
2. Is there any ultimate aim or final goal for which you give extra hours ?
I have always planned on my short-term goals. If there’s a tournament in next 2 months, my goal for those 2 months would be to work hard for it and win that tournament. For me, short-term goals keep me focused and I have always performed better like that. Although, my ultimate goal is to never give up on Squash.
3. How did your journey with squash begin?
I have always been interested in sports. I started playing Squash when I was 9 years of age. My father plays Lawn Tennis, my elder sister is a Badminton player so I guess I had it in me naturally. I tried several sports before I settled down for Squash. I played Badminton for 6 months, Lawn Tennis for some time and then later I saw some of my seniors on a squash court and the pace and speed of Squash got me.
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4. Who has been your greatest support all this while in becoming who you are today?
My father has been my greatest support throughout my career. He never fails to motivate me to do better, to push more. He’s never missed a match of mine and him standing outside watching me play is enough for me to be motivated on the court. He has always been there, during my falls and my highs. My parents were the one who actually got me into Squash. They wanted me to take up a sport of my choice and that I did. I was never fond of books and they knew it. They were quite happy seeing me play tournaments around the country and gaining as much as I could out of it.
5. You have achieved a lot at such an early age. What has been your success mantra?
My key to success is to think less and work more. I mean just thinking about what you want to become or do is not going to help you after a certain point of time, so you have to get on it and work for it. On the court, overconfidence kills. I remember when I was playing against a player in Mumbai I had already beaten twice and I was more than confident than what I should have been made me lose that match. Since then, I have always had it in mind that my opponent is better than me and there is no way I can be easy on him.
6. Is there any influence or pressure that you ever felt?
I don’t know about influence but there’s always some kind of pressure on the court. If I am playing against a player who has beaten me before, the pressure is natural. That’s where all your motivation and focus towards the game come in the picture. On the other hand, if I am playing against a player I have beaten before, the pressure is about not losing this time. I have played a lot of tournaments and that has helped me gain experience on how to deal with pressure.
7. How did it feel when you finally made it among the top 5 squash players in India?
I trained 6 days a week, twice every day to make it in top 5 in Nationals. It was never easy. I remember coming out of the court winning the 55-minute long neck to neck match in Chennai against a player for Mumbai, with happy tears in my eyes and my coach, team mates, and father hugging me. It surely felt amazing! That feeling of accomplishment for which you worked hard is out of the world.
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8. Do you have any message for other students to motivate them?
One message I would like to spread around would be never to give up on things you love. I have always loved playing Squash and enjoyed it every time. For me, if I don’t play for a day or two it makes me uncomfortable and very annoying. Success comes the easiest when you’re doing something you like. There have been a lot of challenges faced by me throughout my career. My school exams used to start one day later than one of the most important tournament every year. I had a hard time managing my day with the books and training at the same time. It might sound weird and funny but in 2010 I had 7 injuries and all of them a week before a tournament. But giving up was never an option for me.
9. Which moment do you count as the most joyous moment of your life?
My entire career has been a roller-coaster ride for me. There were a lot of ups and downs. If I had to choose one moment of my career which I cherish the most, that would be when I was selected to represent India and thereafter playing wearing the Indian jersey for the first time. The joy and the pride I was wearing it with were immeasurable.