Lucky-Anil Nayar's Story

In London in 1965, Anil Nayar made history by becoming the first Indian to gain world champion status in his sport when he captured the Drysdale Cup, the prize awarded to the winner of the event then regarded as the world championship tournament for juniors in squash. Widely recognized as India's greatest squash player, Nayar's breakthrough at this tournament marked a turning point in his illustrious sports career, which spanned almost four decades and brimmed with honors, accolades, and championship titles around the globe.

The story of this unlikely champion unfolds in the environs of Bombay's glittering Queen's Necklace, where his family moved to escape the hostilities near the newly minted border between Pakistan and India in the wake of partition when he was just a baby. As a roly-poly child, few would have guessed that the plump and insecure youngster would emerge as a world-class sportsman. But the proximity of his family's home to the renowned Cricket Club of India all but sealed his fate as he strove to shed his excess weight and adolescent anxieties.

In her candid and intimate portrait of this beloved sportsman, Jean Nayar, the champion player's wife, traces his trailblazing trajectory from its roots in Bombay to numerous international stages around the world, including the courts of Harvard University, where he served as the first Indian captain of its squash team. Laced with the memories of dozens of top players, coaches, family members, and friends, this engaging tale not only provides a valuable record of the groundbreaking role Nayar played in the history of squash, but also highlights an ongoing intercultural exchange between India and America that was fostered in part by this barrier-breaking pioneer. It illustrates, too, the champion sportsman's continuing commitment to uplift India's poorest children through sport.

Nayar's journey also exemplifies how a person born into a context of hatred and division can choose instead to become a bridge builder through generosity and high-minded sportsmanship, and this inspiring biography on his life and sports career offers a refreshing counterpoint to today's trends towards regressive nationalism and identity-based hostility in our complex global arena. It is sure to be a refreshing read for sports fans and culture buffs alike.