Anil’s presence on the Indian, North American and International Squash Racquets scene has been felt over a period spanning the last four decades.

Two fiercely competitive Harvard / North American legends Victor Niederhoffer and Anil Nayar played in the finals of a Harry Cowles Hardball Invitational in 1972. Seven years later, Anil faced down another Harvard and North American legend, Michael Desaulniers, in the World Championships in Australia, this time in the International Softball game. Anil was probably the only US collegiate player to win the US Nationals, the Collegiate Nationals, and the Drysdale Cup (the Junior World Championships), which was unthinkable in the elite hardball days. And in between, he dominated the North American (US, Canadian, Mexican) and Indian Squash Racquets National Championships.

Anil was the first of the players from India to dominate the US squash scene. He was only among a handful of exceptional Squash players like Mark Talbott and Tom Page whose games were covered by Sports Illustrated. However, Anil’s competitive instincts were completely bridled by judgment, integrity, humor, and a quiet sense of self and carriage. All of this contributed to his being recognized by awards such as that for exceptional leadership and sportsmanship with Harvard’s Bingham Award, the President of India’s Arjuna Award, the renaming of his home courts at the Cricket Club of India as the Anil Nayar Courts, and his induction into the US Collegiate Hall of Fame.

An abbreviated version of Anil’s record is as below :


• 1965: Indian National Mens and Junior Champion
• 1966-7, 1974-7, 1985-6: Indian National Mens Champion
• 1965 : Drysdale Cup Winner, equivalent to Junior World Championships

• 1966-1968: U.S. National Intercollegiate Champion
• 1969-1970: U.S. National Squash Champion
• 1969: Bingham Award (Harvard Univ.) for Leadership
and Sportsmanship
• 1969: President Of India, Arjuna Award Winner

• 1970: Canadian National Squash Champion
• 1971: Mexican National Champion
• 1981-1998: U.S. National Championships: various age groups

• 1992: National Intercollegiate Hall Of Fame
• 1998: U.S. National under 45 champion

• 1999: Mid-Day lifetime achievement awards
• 2001: C.C.I. Squash Courts named after Anil Nayar

Anil was on the Board of Edwin Gould Academy from 2009 to 2012. This is a non-profit organization based in Harlem, New York City, for children who have aged out of the foster care system.