The winner of Tulip Star-ISP Doubles Sanjay Goyal & G.C.Dubey along with Noreena (ISP), Vicky Kalludi (sponsor), Sanjay Nirupam (M.P), Khalid A-H Ansari (President, SRAM), Mr. Banerjee (IPS), Gaurav Nandrajog (Winner in Men’s Top-8), Mr. Rathod (IPS), Xavier Marquis (co-sponsor), Bunty Singh, Aashish Gupta (SRAM), Bipin Singh (Dy. Com. Of Police) & Mahendra Agarwal(SRAM).

Top seed Gaurav Nandrajog of Delhi was in a class of his own as he outplayed Jindal’s Vikas Jangra 15-10,15-10, 15-9 to lift the singles title in the ISP-Tulip Star doubles handicap and singles invitation squash tournament, which concluded at the HotelTulip Star.

The doubles title was won by Tulip Star’s Sanjay Goyal and G C Dubey, who made the most of their handicap advantage to defeat Avinash Bhavnani and Anurag Gill of Otters Club 15-5, 13-15,15-10. Nandrajog, ranked No. 2 in the country in the under-19 age group, used the tournament to gain valuable match practice before the Otters Open and his good form was much in evidence as he totally dominated the proceedings against Jangra. Jangra, who relies more on stamina to wear down his opponent, found in Nandrajog an equally fit player who could match him stroke for stroke. Nandrajog, however, held the edge because of his wider range of strokes and superior court craft. Nandrajog won Rs 6,000 for his efforts, while the doubles winners gained Rs 8,000. MP Sanjay Nirupam was the chief guest and gave away the prizes.

Results on page 7

Nine-time national professionals champion Chandrakant Pawar and his partner Mangesh Nadkarni paced around the Khar

Gymkhana squash courts, belying their age against much younger opponents Sahil and Rushabh Vora, in the final of the Khar Gymkhana-ISP Open Squash. Though they succumbed 14-15,15-10, 12-15 in the end, both Pawar and Nadkarni used their experience to take the match to their opponents. The tournament was a one-off event, which over the past four days, saw a unique blend of former champs battling it out against the current lot. Apart from former players, promising players like Kunal Jani, Anurag Gill, Cyrus Appoo and the under-13 champion Vikram Malhotra also took part in the event. “One day, Mahendra Agarwal and I were talking and it was decided to organise the event. The aim basically is to let players enjoy the game as there is not a lot of pressure to win here,” said Shiv Malhotra, Vice-President of Khar Gymkhana.

At the prize distribution ceremony of KHAR GYMKHANA - ISP Doubles Open Squash (from L to R) Mahendra Agarwal, Rajesh Rajani, Shiv Malhotra, Sahil & Rushubh Vora (winners), Manu Dadlani, Ashok Nagpal, Pradeep Ajila & Gowarikar.

Results on page 7

Khalid A-H Ansari (President, SRAM) & Mahendra Agarwal (Hon. Sec. SRAM) along with players at the 2nd Raju Chainani’s free coaching camp at Bombay Gymkhana.

The month-long Raju Chainani free coaching camp conducted at the Bombay Gymkhana Squash courts came to an end with a tournament held for the participants. Seventy-six players from various age groups played each other in three categories senior girls, junior girls and junior boys. Along with the amateurs, a competition was also conducted for the professionals. Brig.(retd.) Chainani, father of the late Raju Chainani in whose memory the camp has been organised, gave away the prizes. His sister, Lavita, was also present on the occasion. A former junior national squash champion, Raju Chainani, covered squash as a journalist in many parts of the world.

Shaheen Madraswala outplayed her elder sister Shehnaz in the girl’s senior finals while Trisha Venkatraman overcame Shivani Sanghvi in the junior’s category. In the boys category, Dhruv Sanghvi outplayed Ryesh Venkatraman. Rakesh Solanki won his match against Vilas Pawar to claim the professional’s crown.

Sixteen-year-old Shehnaz, who lost to her 12-year-old sister, was pretty happy even after the loss. “She is a good player and so there is nothing to feel bad about the loss. We both played to win and I wanted to win just as much as her,” Madraswala said.

More than the competition, the camp was organised to promote the game of squash and just in it’s second year, it has started achieving success.

Last year there were 52 participants for the camp and this year the number has increased to 76. But senior coach Chandrakant Pawar and his assistants Ramesh More, Gopi Mohite, Prakash Yelve and a few others will feel they have achieved substantial success in promoting the game when some of the new comers will take up the game seriously.