Who: “I love speaking on the phone and chatting with friends online,” says 14-year old Rishi Tandon. May not sound extraordinary for a boy his age, but this Calcutta kid has a lot more on his plate than that. For beginners, Rishi globetrots for the most part of the year playing squash.

Born and brought up in Calcutta, Rishi was a student of La Martiniere till 2007 when he left for Chennai to train at the ICL Squash Academy. Now studying in Class IX of Sishya School in Chennai, Rishi has little time to hang out with friends. The two things he has time to do are study and play squash. “During sports I get a break from studies and when I study I get a break from sports,” explains Rishi. No wonder the chat and the phone calls are welcome.

Why: By the results of the SRFI Sub Junior National squash championship, Rishi is currently seeded third in India in the under-15 category. Other feathers in his cap include winning the squash championship in this year’s Saturday Club Carnival in straight sets. The Milo All Stars Malaysian Junior Open hosted in Kuala Lumpur saw Rishi close 10th after losing in the pre-quarters on May 29.

How: “I used to be a good swimmer. But since my brother (Ramit Tandon) and my dad (Raman Tandon) both played squash, I got interested in it. My brother is world number three at the under-19 level. I still play with him at home whenever I get a chance,” says Rishi. After training under Dalit Tripathi of the Calcutta Racquet Club since age nine, Rishi now trains under coach Cyrus Poncha. A day in this young talent’s life starts with training till 9am on school days, with permission to reach class late, followed by more practise till 7.30pm.

Style: “Before any match I think positive, although I get butterflies in my stomach. My mom, brother and dad try to motivate me. I am a right-handed player and people say I can hit the ball well,” says Rishi. But he has his quirks as well. A Manchester United maniac, he loves wearing the ManU jersey while playing on the squash court. “It is sort of lucky for me,” he smiles.

Influences: There are three squash players that inspire Rishi. “Ramy Ashour, he is world number three. Sourav Ghosh is great in the under-19 category. And my brother Ramit. He is five times national champion in the under-13 category. I watch him train and that inspires me to train as hard as him.”

Sign-off: There is one dream that this 14-year-old nurtures: “I want to be the best player in the world.” Tournaments await: Rishi flies to Europe for the Pioneer Open on July 6 and thereafter plays the Dutch Open on July 8.