Rising squash star following family’s footsteps to the top

Dedicated young squash star, Dylan Kalar, said he gets his competitive spirit from his family after being awarded England Squash’s Rising Star of the Year.

The 14-year-old was just four years old when he started playing squash and, thanks to his family, has loved the sport ever since he stepped on court.

After winning four tournaments this season, the one-to-watch has ambitions of being ranked in the top 50 of the PSA and bagging a junior national title.

“My dad (Dylan’s coach), being the crazy guy that he is, built a squash court in the garden,” he said. “And, come rain or shine, me and my sisters were always practising, even though it was slippery at times.”

His wins included the Warwick Silver in November where he was 10-6 down in the final game before putting on a stunning comeback to win 12-10.

“That was my best win because there was a massive audience and my dad was in the crowd,” he said. “Me winning brought a tear to his eye, which is why it was so special.”

“My Dad was a really avid squash player growing up and he made it one of his aims to make me and my sisters squash stars.

“My sisters inspire me because they have achieved a lot in their careers so far and playing on court with them is so beneficial.

“It gets very competitive and none of us like losing, but the competitive spirit is what makes it key to our success.”

Dylan’s older sisters Jasmin and Danni are already much accomplished within the sport with Jasmin now playing professionally.

And the Rising Star hopes his hard work will continue to pay off in the new season.

He said: “The specific thing I have been focusing on is my strength and conditioning training which has been the main goal.

“My dad plans out my training sessions and he has helped me improve so much over the past year – I couldn’t have done it without him.”

Despite all the pressures that come with being a young athlete, the dedication to training never gets in the way of Dylan’s and his family’s love of the fast-paced sport.

“What I love most about playing squash is competing,” he said. “It feels so good to compete in tournaments.