CJS Press Box

NEW YORK – As his legs cramped and the rallies grew longer, Paarth Ambani looked toward the crowd and found exactly what he needed. 

His legs were tightening, his lungs burning, but the junior captain refused to let go – not with Columbia still fighting for points against one of the nation’s best teams. 

“Even if my legs couldn’t do it,” Ambani said, “just for my boys, I am willing to push any barrier.” 

That determination defined Columbia’s performance Friday afternoon at SL Green StreetSquash. Facing defending Ivy League and national champion Penn, the No. 7 Lions fell 6–3 to the No. 3 Quakers but delivered one of their strongest displays of the season. The effort was led by Ambani’s five-game victory and breakthrough performances from underclassmen throughout the ladder. 

Ambani, a Columbia College student from Mumbai, India, delivered one of the Lions’ three points on the day, grinding out a win over Gregory Malsang in a physically demanding match that swung momentum back toward the Lions in the middle of the lineup. 

“It was definitely the most challenging match I’ve played this season so far,” Ambani said. “Greg is such a fighter. The last rally of the game was probably the longest rally I’ve ever played in my life.”

Despite cramping and fatigue, Ambani leaned on his own experience and strategy, drawing energy from his teammates cheering behind the court’s glass window. 

“If you have the mental drive, your body can push limits it didn’t think it could,” he said. “For me, that comes from seeing my teammates. I know they’re on the courts next to me doing the same thing, pushing for me. The least I can do is push all limits for them.” 

Columbia entered the match facing a Penn team that won both Ivy League and national championships last season. But Ambani said the Lions’ mindset this year has shifted away from being daunted. 

“I feel like we have a shot at beating any team,” he said. “It doesn’t matter if they’ve ranked one, two, or three. That’s the mindset I’m trying to bring to every match.” 

That belief showed itself earlier in the lineup through first-year Ahmad Haq, who opened the scoring for Columbia with a straight-game victory over Penn’s Rustin Wiser, 12-10, 11-8, 11-8. Haq, originally from Santa Clara, became the first Lion to defeat a Penn player on the day, setting the tone in a tightly contested match.

“The games were close, I knew he was right there and I could still lose the game,” Haq said. “I just kept telling myself ‘he’s just as tired as me on the court’”. 

The win was another milestone for Haq, who is one of the most accomplished recruits Columbia has brought on in years. A former U.S. National Champion and top 16 finisher at the World Junior Championships, Haq has adjusted quickly to collegiate competition. 

Ambani has watched Haq’s transition closely, forming a close bond with the first-year and taking an active role in guiding him through the demands of collegiate competition. 

“There are very few players across all colleges, all ages, who have the potential to do what Ahmad can do,” Ambani said. 

Haq’s performance on Friday reflected the culture Ambani, and co-captain Laszlo Godde, have worked to build throughout the lineup.  

“I want to leave the same print on this team as the current captains have,” said Haq. “They’re so motivated for the team, they’re pushing everything forward.” 

Sophomore Imad Athar added Columbia’s second point of the afternoon, responding after dropping the second game to defeat Penn’s Zane Patel in four. 

Penn ultimately secured the overall victory with wins throughout the top and bottom of the lineup, including five-game triumphs from Omar Hafez and Marwan Abdelsalam.

For Ambani, the progress that Columbia is looking for begins with leadership – a responsibility shaped by the captains who came before him. 

“When I came in as a freshman, I was welcomed into the family,” he said, crediting former captains Harold Castiaux and Zach Nam. “One thing is common – you have to lead by example.” 

With ranking implications looming and the Ivy League schedule intensifying, Columbia will look to turn performances like Sunday’s into results. But if the Lions continue to follow their captain’s lead, belief might just be their most valuable asset.  

*This story was originally written for publication on January 30, 2026.