Anil Nayar was the silky smooth breaker of many barriers. Growing up at the Cricket Club of India in Mumbai, Nayar captured the 1965 Drysdale Cup, the British Junior Open boys under nineteen draw. He then attended Harvard, winning the national intercollegiate individual title in all three years of eligibility and leading the Crimson to two national team titles. Nayar with “almost a frightening display of speed—speed afoot, speed of wrist, speed of pace” as the US Squash yearbook described it, captured two straight National Singles in 1969 and 1970. He was the first non-white player to win an open U.S. national championship. With great touch and superb lobs, Nayar topped Sam Howe in the finals in five games both of those years, 15-13 in the fifth in one year and 15-11 in the other. He also captured the national men’s open title of Canada twice and Mexico once. Nayar moved back to India in 1972, going on to win the Indian national open title eight times. After returning to the States, Nayar became a seven-time masters national champion, capturing the 40+ hardball in 1987, 1988 and 1990, the 40+ softball in 1990 and the 45+ softball in 1993, 1994 and 1999.
