SQUASH in India has come a long way from the time the only professionals in the sport were called markers and were more often called upon to give a club member a game. There were occasions when their services were utilised as coaches and among them at the time were markers like Hashim Khan and Abdul Bari at the Cricket Club of India courts.

Bari met with a premature death at 33, but Hashim Khan went on to make international squash history winning the British Open, the unofficial world championship, six times in a row from 1954 to mention just one of his many achievements.

From the time Anil Nayar was to put India on the squash map of the world, the standard of the sport has been inching forward. There was Raj Manchanda, who was to reign supreme on the national scene for several years. Then there was Meherwan Daruwala before Adrian Ezra was to sweep all before him. But on the professional front the country was a big cipher.

While the game had become ”open”, our professionals, former amateurs who are now playing far the cash prizes on offer, have yet to cover much ground in the matter of skills, speed and stamina and this was very evident from watching the performances of the top 

stars in the two World championships in Mumbai making the name of Rodney Eyles, Brett Martin, Simon Parke and Chris Walker familiar for those who follow the sport.

This is underscored by the fact that in the July 1996 rankings of the Professional Squash Association, the world controlling body, our Arjan Singh the national champion, is ranked 97th. Dave Malani who plays and coaches in Germany, is on the 108th. spot and Akhil Behl, the only Indian to make the main draw of Mahindras event, 127th and Paul Ferreira 151st.

The promising youngster Arif Paul, has recently entered the PSA circuit and it is gratifying to know he will be playing while studying at Denison college, Ohio. As stated earlier, Indian squash has a long way to go to measure up favorably in international competitions. The twin factors necessary for its healthy progress, stilted now as it is, are sponsorship and publicity.

It is the objective of Pro Squash, initially being brought out as a quarterly, to bring about a greater awareness of the game with reports on the sport at home and abroad and related matters. The masthead for the newsletter reads Pro Squash not just professional squash but more importantly For squash.

Our Lifeline

AUGUST 4: Continental Contractors, Monarch & Haveli Restaurant sponsored Club Aquaria Invitation: Paul Fereira beat Manish Chotrani (3-2); Under 19- Abhijit Kukreja beat Faraz Patel (3-1).
AUGUST 8: Capt. Rajdeep Brar retains Inter Services title beating Capt. Navneet Singh (3-0).
AUGUST 15: Otters ”B” beat Otters ”A” (2-1) in Continental Contractors, Monarch 8 Haveli Restaurant Handicap Team Squash Championship.
SEPTEMBER 1: Rodney Eyles beats Jansher Khan (3-0) in Cathay Pacific Hong Kong Open.
SEPTEMBER 6: Steel Made Furniture Championship: Boys’ Under 19 - Shondip Ghosh beat Gaurav Juneja (3-0); Under 16 - Gaurav Juneja beat Parth Doshi (3-2); Under 14 – John Paul Rothie beat Siddharth Suchde (3-0); Girfs’ Under 19 - Rhea ’ Bhandare beat Aisha Shah (3-1).
SEPTEMBER 20: Arjan Singh bt Akhil Behl in the 5 Kalyani Pune Open Squash Championship(3-0);U 19-Rohan Juneja beat Gaurav Juneja (3-2).