NEWS LETTER OF THE INDIAN SQUASH PROFESSIONALS Vol 4 No.2 Issue No.14 April 2000
WEBSITE: www.ispsquash.com E-MAIL : squashindia@hotmail.com
DIRECTORS: MAHENDRA AGARWAL/ SUBHASH WALI / NARENDRA GOUR (I.R.S.) CHANDRAKANT
PAWAR. OUR HONORARY MEMBERS: NAVNEET SONI(I.R.S.) / BHARAT BHUSHAN (I.R.S.) / SAIFEE
JANI (M.D. JANI SALES LTD.) / RAJESH LIHALA( M.D. SHIVA MARKETING LTD) / RAKESH LAKHANPAL
(M.D. S.S.KNITTING IND.) MUKESH BABU(CHAIRMAN, MUKESH BABU SECURITIES LTD)
HONOURED PATRONS: VIVEK NAIR (VICE CHAIRMAN & MD THE LEELA) /
SAJJAN JINDAL VICE
CHAIRMAN & M.D. JINDAL GROUP OF COMPANIES)
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The gregarious Bikram Uberoi has done
enough
in the new year to ensure that he is the most talked about Indian
squashplayer. He upset the top seeded Yan Ka Do of Hong Kong to take
the boy's title in the ASF Junior squash circuit final round a the India
Cements Academy, Chennai. It was his fourth title ofthe new millennium.
Bikram Uberoi didn't exactly exult when he learnt that new millennium.
Bikram Uberoi did'nt exactly exult when he learnt that Mohamed Azlan, the
top seed from Malaysia, would not be taking part. He had expected to be
the top seed. So, when he went to Chennai as the second seed, Bikram had a
point to prove, which he did. Uberoi's confidence stemmed from having
reached the final of Senior Nationals.
That he has no peer in junior ranks he proved by claiming the SRAM-Air-India Grand Finals with ease. He attributes his fine form of the recent months to his improved concentration. "I used to lose my concentration earlier and it cose me some matches." Uberoi, who won the Junior National title, had lost to Ritwik Bhattacharya in the men's semi-finals of the Nationals. He had taken one game off him and he was sure he would |
have won but for a problem in his hip. The injury began playing up as the match prolonged. It was tough luck for Bikram as he had lost earlier to Ritwik in the Northern India Open, a grueling encounter that could have gone the other way.Uberoi has been making steady progress since winning the Hong Kong Open junior title a couple of year ago. He enrolled in a U.S. college last year, but has taken a semester break to play here. The decision has paid dividends as he finds himself at No.3 or No.4 on the men's ladder. Uberoi took in his stride, Servicement Anuj Kalia and Maj. Rajdeep Brar at the Nationals and he as had also beaten Gajendra Singh Rathore. Ritwik Bhattacharya and Manish Chotrani, the current National Champ, are the only men he hasn't beaten. He considers Udai Singh, now settled in Singapore, s the best Indian Player today. Uberoi said the few months he spent at Rhode Island didn't help his squash much. "It only helped me become fitter than before." Then how did his game improve? "I have been playing a lot with Ansbul Manchanda and this has helped." Manchanda, the son of India's all-time great Brig Raj Manchanda, is out of the junior ranks and did well to reach the last eight of the Nationals. When asked whose guidance has really helped him, he says it is all his own work. Asked if he was lacking in any particular area, Uberoi feels he can play most strokes with an amount of certainty. All he needs, he says, is lasting power and he will be able to tackle the best in the game.