Egypt retain WJW; India secures best ever result

Egypt beat Hong Kong in the finals, while India came 3rd

Final:
[1] EGYPT bt [6] HONG KONG 2/0

Anaka u-15 Asian Junior champ

Anaka Alankamony bagged India’s lone gold medal at the Asian Junior Squash Championship, while both Dipika Pallikal and Mahesh Mangaonkar settled for silver after losing their respective finals in the tournament which concluded in Busan, Korea. Anaka, the top seeded, beat Hong Kong’s Ho Ka Po 9-6, 9-6, 9-5 in the girls under-15 category final to clinch her eighth international title.

Sports star article on SRFI, ICL Squash Academy

The winners at the Chennai Nationals had at some point of time been, or continue to be part of the India Cements Academy. This is a tribute to the Academy’s systematic and scientific training. Ten years can be a short period in history. But for Indian squash much has happened during this time ever since the India Cements Limited Academy was established in Chennai in the late 1990s.

With the setting up of the Academy, one big dream of squash lovers was fulfilled then; now, like any businessman appreciating the returns on his huge investments, N. Ramachandran, the Executive Director of India Cements and Secretary-General of the Sq uash Rackets Federation of India, is a contented man. Especially after seeing the results of the National Championship and the National Doubles Championship, which concluded in Chennai recently. Tamil Nadu swept all the five titles at stake. And what is more, each of the winners had at some point of time been or continues to be part of the Academy. What more can the advocates of systematic and scientific training ask for? Tamil Nadu’s success has been overwhelming and its domination has been envied by others.

It is not that all the trainees at the India Cements Academy belong to Tamil Nadu. Some of them come from Punjab, Rajasthan and Maharashtra, and the shifting of their base has not posed a problem, for their schooling and board and lodge were easily worked out. Ultimately, the refrain is if Saurav Ghosal can come over from Kolkata and become a big success in Chennai, then the others too can do so. All this goes to show what can be achieved with organised training. The success of the India Cements Academy should pave the way for more such facilities in other parts of the country such as Ajmer, Indore, Mumbai, Delhi and Kolkata, where squash talent traditionally surfaces. With squash getting increasingly accepted at the international level — it is one of the events in the Asian Games and in the next decade or so should enter the Olympics — the sport is bound to evoke greater interest.

Already the Government of India has responded positively to the recent achievements of the nation’s squash players, like Saurav Ghosal winning the bronze medal at the Doha Asian Games, by bringing the sport into the priority list. As a result, squash would command more government funds for players’ training and their foreign trips. However, Ramachandran is not particularly enamoured by this. ‘The Government funds are fine but we will always find our own resources,’ is his motto. He believes, the lesser the procedural hassles — the Government matters are always that — the better it is for both the officials and players to plan well ahead. And surely the SRFI supremo is looking ahead to India making a mark in squash at the New Delhi Commonwealth Games in 2010.

What inspires Ramachandran are the performances of Saurav Ghosal, who won his third National title, and Joshna Chinappa, who claimed her seventh title, and her firth in succession. Both the players also have decent world rankings — Saurav is ranked No. 42, while Joshna is 39. Besides, the bright potential of some of the young brigade cannot be discounted, especially Siddarth Suchde, a diligent player fresh from Harvard who is keen to hone his skills.

In the final of the Nationals, Suchde was laid low by Ghosal, but his performance clearly showed that he has the fire in his belly. The way Parth Sharma and Naresh Kumar, both under 20 years, have matured as a doubles pair is another big gain for Indian squash. The duo shocked Ghosal and Harinder Pal Singh for the title. Maj. S. Maniam, the Consultant Coach of SRFI, said at the valedictory function of the Nationals, “It is a good happening. We know we have an established and strong pair ready for the big challenge.” he said.

Joshna remains India’s best bet on the distaff side. She intends training under Malcolm Willstrop, who also coaches Saurav, and the chances are that she will go up in her rankings. Dipika Pallikal, who finished next best to Joshna, is trained by Mohamed Essam Hafizan of Egypt, a former top-30 player. Dipika is still in school and so has age on her side. Playing against a tough rival like Joshna keeps her motivated. A notch or two behind Dipika are Anwesha Reddy, Harita Omprakash, Anaka, Aparajitha, all in school but keen trainees and ready to excel. The Chennai Nationals will also be remembered for Balamurugan’s exploits. The man, who was adopted by the Academy and who rose to become a Level II coach, went on to win his tenth title (professional category) in a row.

New Indian Express article

The last five years have seen India make rapid progress in the international squash arena. Not only has the fortunes of the Indian squashers changed for the better, but also the Squash Racquet Federation of India has been successfully organising national as well as international tournaments. India has been able to produce top-notch players in Saurav Ghosal (PSA ranked 42), Ritwik Bhattacharya (PSA ranked 60), Joshna Chinappa (WISPA ranked 39) and Dipika Pallikal (WISPA ranked 68). Ritwik has six PSA titles to his name, while Saurav has two plus a bronze in Asian Games 2006 at Doha.

And the silver lining, accord ing to national coach Cyrus Poncha, is that most of them have quite a few years to go before they reach the peak age (24 to 27) of a squash player. Saurav and Joshna are 20, while Dipika is just 16. Besides, there is a crop of young back-up players like Harinder Pal Singh, Parth Sharma, Naresh Kumar, Parthiban Ayappan, Ramit Tandon, Paramit Singh, Karan Malik and Ravi Dixit who are waiting in the wings.

In the women’s segment, there is sufficient cushion to Joshna, Dipika, Surbhi Mishra and Anwesha Reddy, thanks mainly to the growing stature of junior players like Anaka Alankamony and Haritha Omprakash. ‘‘It’s not just one or two players hogging the limelight. There is enough depth, potential and quality in them. The gap between these players and the top two is not that yawning. This also ensures there is sufficient competition at the domestic level,” said the consultant coach of Squash Racquets Federation of India Major Maniam.

Another heartening aspect is that the Indian junior team, too, has been making its presence felt in the global stage.‘‘Both the junior boys and girls have been performing remarkably well. We are one of the top eight junior teams in the World and we hope to break into the top three sooner than later,” said Maniam. The lucrative part too has brightened for the squashers. In the last five years, the number of national and international tournaments has doubled, and so has the prize money.

‘‘Tournaments are so galore that players now have the problem of plenty, as to which tournament to go and which not to,” said Cyrus. Consequently, more players are pursuing the game as a viable profession, unlike in the past where the game was a platform for higher studies abroad. Moreover, the game has slowly but steadily expanded its base. ‘‘Players are sprouting from states like Rajasthan, Uttranchal, Haryana and Punjab. This shows that the game is reaching more states and people,” said Maniam. Cyrus seconds Maniam, ‘‘Earlier, there used to be hardly 10 players for the girl’s U-11 school tournaments. Now we get almost 30-40 players for such tournaments.” And the Central government rightly rewarded the game by including it in the priority list of sports.

According to the secretary general of SRFI N Ramachandran, it is a recognition that the Indian squash deserved. ‘‘This means that there will be more funding for players and better opportunities for the federation to improve the facilities of the state associations,” he said. Overall, there have been more ups than downs in the recent years. And it’s a fair bet that the coming years will see a further upswing in the nation’s squash fortunes.

Indian national squash finals

Men :Saurav Ghosal {TN} beat Siddharath Suchde {MAH}9-2 9-3 9-0 {40m}
Women : Joshna Chinappa {TN} beat Dipika Pallikal {TN}9-2 4-9 9-5 9-1 {34m}
Pro : Balamurugan {TN} beat Dalip Tripathi {WB}9-0 9-2 9-5 {26m}
Ovr 50 : B. I. Singh {ND} beat Vaman Apte {MAH}9-3 9-7 10-9
Ovr 40 : Rohit Thawani {MAH} beat Deepak Moolani {MAH}6-9 10-8 10-9 9-3
Ovr 35 : Niraj Shrgaonkar {MAH} beat Raja Parthasarathy {MAH}9-5 7-9 7-9 9-7 9-2 {63m}Playoffs
Gaurav Nandrajog {ND} beat Harinder Pal Singh {TN}8-10 9-1 9-7 5-9 9-4 {89m}
Naresh Kumar {TN} beat Parth Sharma {TN}9-5 3-9 9-0 10-8 {40m}
Supreet Singh {MAH} beat Ayappan Parthiban {TN}4-2 Retired

Anwesha Reddy {TN} beat Surbhi Mishra {RAJ}7-9 9-4 9-1 9-0
Harita Omprakash {TN} beat Anaka Alankamony {TN}10-8 9-6 9-6
Dheeya Somaiya {MP} beat Komal Sharma {TN}9-0 9-0 9-0
Sanjay Pawar {MAH} beat Kalimuthu {TN}9-5 9-0 9-1 {32m}
Vijay Jangra {RAJ} beat Vinodh Kumar {TN}9-1 9-6 9-2
Desappan {TN} beat Hari Om Tripathi {TN}9-7 8-10 9-3 9-5

Anaka & Ravi win Penang Junior Squash

ICL Academy trainees Anaka Alankamony (Girls u13) and Ravi Dixit (Boys u17) returned victorious from the Penang International Junior Squash Championships held from 6-10 June. Anaka was the only Indian double winner of the Penang Open as well as the Malaysian Junior Open (31 May – 4 June).

Anaka once again defeated county mate Saumya Karki in the final, 9-1, 1-9, 9-5, 10-9 proving that these two are the leading players on the Asian circuit in their age group. Anaka and Saumya won their semi finals in straight games defeating Malaysians, Yong Sue Ann and Celin Yeap respectively.

Ravi Dixit defeated Ng Jo Wen, winner of the Malaysian Junior Open, in the final of the Penang Junior in close four games 9-7, 9-2, 8-10, 10-8. Ravi kept the pressure from the start using his drops to great effect. In the semi final, Ravi turned the tables on South African Stephano Gras 9-4, 9-6, 9-0. At the Malaysian Open Ravi had lost to Stephano in 5 set thriller.

This is Ravi’s 1st international title in the boys u17 category, he had previously won the Scottish Junior Open in Dec 2006 in the u15 category.

Other Indian’s making the top 4 were Anwesha Reddy (Girls u17) , Ramit Tandon (Boys u15) – runner up, Dheeya Somaiya (Girls u15),  Pankhuri Malhotra (Girls u11), Akshay Deepak (Boys u15) 4th position. These achivements were fitting end to a month long Malaysian tour arranged between the Squash Rackets Federation of India and Squash Rackets Association of Malaysia. The boys and girls have benefited immensely from the 2 week stint sparing and training with the Malaysian juniors.

Milo All Star 2007

Anaka Alankamony from the ICL Squash Academy defeated country mate Saumya Karki to lift the Milo All Star Malaysian Junior Open 2007 – Girls u 13 category in Kuala Lumpur Malaysia. From the start Anaka hit perfect length and used the front of the court exceedingly to secure a 9-4, 9-2, 9-3 victory in 28min.

Probably playing her last under 13 championships, the 9th standard student of Church Park Sacred Heart, Chennai won her 3rd consecutive Malaysian Junior title in 2007 adding to her 3rd place finish at the British Junior Open and 2nd position at the German Junior. Final results:

GU11: Jadeleen Lee (Mas) bt T.Mithila (Mas) 9/6, 9/1, 9/3
GU13: Anaka Alankamony bt Saumya Karki 9/4, 9/2, 9/3 (28m)
GU15: Tong Tsz Wing (Hkg) bt Tamika Saxby (Aus) 9/3, 9/4, 9/7
GU17: Lui Tzs Ling (Hkg) bt Wee Nee Low (Mas) 7/9, 3/9, 10/8, 9/1, 9/4
GU19: Wee Wern Low (Mas) bt Melody Francis (Aus) 9/1, 9/5, 9/0

BU11: Darren Chan Til Lunn (Mas) bt Kunj Rawani 9/7, 9/4, 9/3
BU13: Darren Subramaniam (Mas) bt Ryosei Kobayashi (Jpn) 9/7, 9/4, 9/0
BU15: Fong Ngo Long (Hkg) bt Cheong Kah Wah (Mas) 6/9, 9/7, 9/4, 9/2
BU17: Ng Jo Wen (Mas) bt Matt Hopkin (Aus) 9/7, 3/9, 9/3, 9/5
BU19: Farzan Rashid (Pak) bt Asyraf Azan (Mas) 7/9, 9/7, 9/2, 8/10, 10/8

Squash declared a priority sport by govt

The Ministry for Youth Affairs and Sports revised its categorization of sports disciplines in the country and has made squash one of the priority sports in the country. This comes in a wake of India achieving its first medal in the 2006, Asian Games held in Doha and Indian players like Saurav Ghosal and Ritwik Bhattacharya reigning the top 50 list of best players in the world.

Says N.Ramachandran, Secretary General, Squash Rackets Federation of India, “Its truly fabulous that Indian Squash is getting its much deserved recognition. This means a better funding from the government and increased opportunities for the federation to improve the infrastructural facilities of the state associations. The federation is keen to harness the talent of these junior players by giving them exposure to all international tournaments”

Cyrus Poncha National Coach, SRFI “This means motivation for all the aspirant squash players and a better scope of sincere participation to bring the sport to the forefront of Indian sports”.

Other than the men, the sport has also witnessed a steep rise in the participation figures in the women’s category. Apart from Joshna Chinnappa there are junior players like Dipika Pallikal, Anwesha Reddy, Aparajitha Balamurukan, Saumya Karki, Anaka Alankamony, Harita Omprakash etc.  Anaka and Saumya were the semi finalists at the British Open held last year.

Coach of the Gold Medal Women’s Team at the SAF Games, 2004 and Gold Medal Asian Junior Women’s Team in Pakistan 2003, Cyrus explains the situation “There used to be days when matches were cancelled for no participation of women. But the situation is definitely improving now with new possibilities in the current women’s junior team.” The boys who are turning out to be safer bets include Harinderpal Singh, A. Parthiban, Naresh Kumar and Parth Sharma climbing higher in the recent world rankings.

Articles in the newspapers

German Junior Squash Open – Day3

Gu13 Anaka Alankamony lost to Haidi Lala 9/5 5/9 2/9 9/3 0/9 Runner up
Bu15 Aditya Jagtap beat Daniel Mekbib 9/0 9/5 1/9 9/6 Winner

Gu17 Anwesha Reddy 5th, Bu15 Ramit Tandon 5th

German Junior Squash Open – Day2

Bu15 Semifinal: James Earles lost to Aditya Jagtap 5/9 0/9 6/9
Quarterfinal: Alex Bowden lost to Aditya Jagtap  9/5 0/9 9/10 4/9, James Earles bt Ramit Tandon 10/8 9/2 6/9 9/5

Gu17 Quarterfinal: Nouran Alaa El Torky bt Anwesha Reddy 9/5 9/3 9/1

Gu13 Quarterfinal: Anaka Alankamony bt Josefine Kraus 9/1 9/0 9/0

Aparijita and Harita lost their pre quarter matches