British and Scottish Junior Squash

Over the years our kids have done well at the Scottish and British Open. I expect a few titles and strong finishes from this year’s contingent too.

Powerplaysports British Junior Open, 2-6 Jan 2007, Sheffield
Mahesh  Mangaonkar, Rishi Tandon, Shravan Kaul BU13
Aditya Jagtap, Akshay Deepak, Ravi Dixit,  Ramit Tandon BU15
Cyril Kuhn, Karan Malik, Suneesh Kaul BU17
Anaka Alankamony, Aparajitha Balamurukan, Sachika Balvani, Saumya Karki,  Shria Kathri GU13
Ankita Sharma GU15
Dipika  Pallikal, Surbhi Misra GU17
 
Scottish Junior Open, 27-30 Dec 2006, Edinburgh
Mahesh Mangaonkar, Rahil Fazelbhoy, Rishi Tandon, Shravan Kaul BU13
Ravi Dixit, Ramit Tandon, Akshay Deepak BU15
Cyril Kuhn, Karan Malik, Suneesh Kaul BU17
Saumya Karki, Aparajitha Balamurukan, Shria Khatri, Anaka Alankamony, Sachika Balvani GU13
Ankita Sharma GU15
Surbhi Misra GU17

Hindu: Ministry dilutes selection criteria for Asian Games

“In a major departure from the past, the Union Sports Ministry has diluted the selection criteria for the Asian Games from the `third-place norm’ to the sixth-place performance in individual events.  The criteria were finalised only recently though the Indian Olympic Association (IOA) was given to understand earlier that the fourth-place standard would apply.

No explanation has been given about the watering down of the criteria, but the Ministry’s decision should bring cheer to the IOA and the National federations. The Ministry is learnt to have already agreed to India’s participation in 24 disciplines in the Doha Games while keeping eight more, including football, in suspense.”

The SRFI has been following the government norms while selecting the teams for various international meets, basing it on our medal prospects and the level of competition we will face.

New Strait Times: Malaysian prospects for the Asian Games

Malaysians twice failed to sweep two gold medals in the Asian Games since squash was introduced in 1998, but they are unlikely to be denied glory in Doha next month. Nicol David easily won Malaysia’s first squash gold in Bangkok in 1998, but she was shocked by Hong Kong’s Rebecca Chiu in Busan four years later in the final. As for the men, Kenneth Low could only manage a bronze but Ong Beng Hee, who fell in the quarter-finals in Bangkok, justified his seeding to secure the gold in 2002.