Just days after being the first Cornellian to be crowned with the prestigious Skillman Award — the top honor in men’s collegiate squash — fifth-year Veer Chotrani etched his name into Cornell history once more.
With unwavering determination and unparalleled skill, Chotrani soared to claim the title of National Champion of men’s squash, becoming the inaugural Cornellian to achieve this accolade.
“I came in as a freshman a couple of years ago, and I didn’t think I’d be achieving this,” Chotrani said. “To be able to do this over the last few weekends [has been] pretty incredible.”
The Mumbai native might be the top dog now, but, in his eyes, it wasn’t always smooth sailing.
“I remember freshman year, I wasn’t as disciplined as I needed to be to be the best,” Chotrani said.
Unanimously garnering the honor of Ivy League Rookie of the Year as a freshman might be enough for most people, but not for Chotrani. He already had his sights set on greener pastures and knew he had to be better to reach them.
“With the help of my coaches, I’ve gotten extremely disciplined with everything I do,” Chotrani said. “And my work ethic has gotten much better from the day I came in.”
This steady improvement shined through his 2022-23 senior season when he became the first Cornellian to reach the College Squash Association National Individual Championships since Nick Sachvie in 2011.
Chotrani ultimately dropped his match to Harvard’s George Crowne in a close 2-3 loss. After heart-wrenching losses, Chotrani has relied on the support of his teammates to pick himself back up.
“I had a lot of times where I made a mess after some bad losses in the season,” Chotrani said. “They would always stand by me and motivate me because they believed in me when I did not in myself. … They were always by my side, and that just makes a huge difference.”
Beyond the challenges, Chotrani recognizes his strengths in the sport: “Not to sound arrogant, but my attack is extremely good right now, and I’m feeling great about it. Just the way I intercept the ball, I think I can read the game really well.”
These abilities have helped Chotrani, who competed exclusively at the No. 1 position and posted a perfect record this season, never dropping a match since returning to campus in January.
Chotrani holds his sportsmanship to the same level he holds his abilities.
“I always want to play super hard, but also super fair,” Chotrani said when asked about his philosophy on the court. “I don’t want to try to try to cheat or be a dirty player on the court.”
Chotrani plans to bring his athletic prowess to the professional sphere now that his collegiate career is over.
“I want to be in the top fifty in the world, by the end of this year hopefully. That will be a huge goal for me,” Chotrani said.
Chotrani also intends to compete in the 2028 Olympics in Los Angeles, which would be his first Olympic appearance. Off the court, he strives to finish his academic career strong in the College of Arts and Sciences.
Chotrani emphasized his gratitude to the Red’s squash team.
“I’ll always be grateful to be a part of the Cornell squash community, and I’ll always be supporting them wherever I am around the world,” Chotrani said.