Alumni One of the World’s Top Squash Players, He’s Aiming for L.A. in 2028 Stories You May Like Fashion Forward: Dazzling Designs Delight in Barton Hall Cornellian Crossword: ‘Going for the Gold’ Looking Sharp: CALS Grad Collects Vintage Cornell Pins (and Jewelry) A standout player since childhood in India, this former Big Red star hopes to compete in his sport’s first-ever Olympics By Melissa Newcomb When professional squash player Veer Chotrani ’23, BA ’24, tells you he lives out of a suitcase, he’s hardly exaggerating. The elite athlete—who’s currently number 38 in the world—constantly travels the globe to train and compete in tournaments as he climbs the ranks of the Professional Squash Association. In the past year alone, the sport has taken Chotrani to competitions in Bermuda, New Zealand, and Australia, with training stops in India and the Czech Republic. Playing for the Big Red in the national championship finals. “On the court, I think I’m a creative player with different kinds of shots,” he observes. “I’m also a very calm guy; I try to have an ice-in-my-veins mentality.” Chotrani grew up in Mumbai, where he started following his father—once ranked first in the nation—onto the squash court at just two years old. At nine, he was top in the country for his age group, and began playing in international tournaments in Hong Kong, Malaysia, and elsewhere. On the court, I think I’m a creative player with different kinds of shots. I’m also a very calm guy; I try to have an ice-in-my-veins mentality. "When I went to India on a recruiting trip and watched him play, I could tell straight away he was very skillful with the racket, but that he could also work on other things like fitness and movement," recalls Big Red head coach David Palmer. "Just like for any top athlete, it’s always the little things. It’s not just the focus and giving 100% in training, which he was always good at. It was spending 45 minutes beforehand warming up and mobilizing, and afterward cooling down and stretching; it was looking after his body, learning to eat well, working with trainers." By the time Chotrani arrived on the Hill, he’d already spent much of his life competing at an elite level. He immediately took the number-one spot in the Big Red lineup, earning Ivy League Rookie of the Year and First Team All-American honors his freshman season. When I went to India on a recruiting trip and watched him play, I could tell straight away he was very skillful with the racket. Big Red head coach David Palmer "His work ethic was really good; he turned up on time and was respectful to the coaches and the other team members," says Palmer, himself a two-time world champion. "That’s the biggest thing I try to teach the current team: when we look up at the wall and see all these photos and his awards, that’s amazing—but it's his day-to-day commitment that people will remember him by." Stories You May Like Fashion Forward: Dazzling Designs Delight in Barton Hall Cornellian Crossword: ‘Going for the Gold’ Senior year, Chotrani capped a perfect 16–0 season by winning the national championship and was named Skillman Player of the Year by the College Squash Association, becoming the first Cornellian to earn the honor. The award, the association says, goes to a player who demonstrates “a sense of esprit de corps, of sportsmanship, of hard but fair play, of being gracious in victory and defeat, and enjoying the camaraderie and pride of being part of a team.” Hefting the trophy for individual men’s national champion in 2024. In September 2026, Chotrani will represent his native India at the Asian Games in Japan, where he hopes to earn a spot in the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics—the first Games ever to feature the sport. “Last season I beat the number two and number three [players from Asia] on the pro tour, so I’m confident that I’m capable of beating the number-one guy as well,” he says. “I feel I’m just getting started.” The Asian Games mark the first opportunity for squash players to qualify for the Olympics, with the men’s and women’s champions each earning a spot in the 16-player field. In September 2026, Chotrani will represent his native India at the Asian Games in Japan, where he hopes to earn a spot in the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics—the first Games ever to feature the sport. Four other continental competitions in 2027 will offer the same chance to athletes from their respective regions, while the remaining spots will be determined largely by rankings, giving Chotrani several pathways to L.A. “My favorite part of squash is traveling the world, competing at these venues, getting to play the game I love,” says Chotrani, who majored in psychology in Arts & Sciences. “The beauty of this game is that we can set up a squash court in any part of the world.” With his coach at the World Championships. In summer 2026, the sport also took him back to the Hill. He not only trained with Palmer—with whom he has kept working even after graduating—but ran up and down the Slope as part of his conditioning. “He has gotten me to a level where I never thought I would be in terms of my physical game, and my mental game as well,” Chotrani says of Palmer. “If you saw me as a freshman, you would never have imagined I’d be where I am now.” (All photos provided.) Published August 25, 2026 Leave a Comment Cancel replyOnce your comment is approved, your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *Comment * Name * Class Year Email * Save my name, email, and class year in this browser for the next time I comment. Δ Other stories You may like Campus & Beyond Big Red Researchers Study Major League Baseball’s ‘Robot Ump’ Bear Hugs Alum Thanks His Chemistry Professor—40 Years Later Cornelliana Wine Program Offers Limited-Edition Red, White to Alumni Oenophiles