Stefanoni and Chandra Honored with DeRoy Sportsmanship Award

Lucie Stefanoni and Arhan Chandra

Graduating junior squash players Arhan Chandra and Lucie Stefanoni were presented with the 2023 DeRoy Sportsmanship Awards during the 2023 US Squash Junior Awards Night at the Arlen Specter US Squash Center Saturday, March 18.

Created in 1998 through the support of the DeRoy Testamentary Foundation, the DeRoy Sportsmanship Award has honored one female and male graduating high school senior who displayed exemplary behavior on and off the court, while competing at a high level of junior squash.

Chandra, a Sugarland, Texas native, will attend the University of Virginia in the fall after graduating from Stephen Austin High School.

“I’m deeply honored and grateful to receive this recognition,” Chandra said. “Play hard, play fair, and have fun. This statement has been instilled within me since my childhood years and I have always been taught to hold my head high in victory or defeat which is a true testament to someone’s character rather than how good of a squash player they are. I would like to encourage all players to promote good sportsmanship in the community, we all have a responsibility to uphold the values of fair play and sportsmanship and respect, and in doing so can create a better future for ourselves and the players who come after us who have the rest of their junior squash careers ahead of them.”

Stefanoni, a Darien, Connecticut native, will attend Harvard University in the fall after graduating from Darien High School.

“I’m humbled and grateful to receive this award,” Stefanoni said. “I would like to thank my parents for bringing me to all of the tournaments for so many years and everything they’ve done, the national team coaches who have helped me grow as a player and develop these values. Lastly, I would like to thank my sister Marina who taught me the true meaning of good sportsmanship.”