PROSQUASH
  Vol 9 No. 2   Issue No.34  April 2005

  
Website: www.ispsquash.com      Email: squashindia@yahoo.com
Directors: Mahendra Agarwal / Narendra Gour (I.R.S.) / Navneet Soni (I.R.S.) Executive Director : Shiv Kumar Dhanuka  Honorary Members: Bharat Bhushan (I.R.S.) Saifee Jani / Rakesh Lakhanpal / Ashish Gupta /Vicky Kalludi / Sanjay Goyal Patrons: Vivek Nair (VC & M.D. The Leela) / Sajjan Jindal (Chairman & M.D. Jisco)  / Eric Dastur (Chairman, K.M. Dastur Reinsurance Brokers Pvt. Ltd. Advisors: Pradeep K. Vijayakar / Shiv Malhotra / Swikriti Sharma P.R.O : Noreena / Global Ambassador : Anisha Sawhney Technical Director : Amitoj Inder Singh Chief Co-ordinator : Riaz Mohammed
 

JOSHNA'S WIN GIVES INDIAN SQUASH 
A SHOT IN THE ARM
By Pradeep Vijayakar

WORLD SQUASH DAY CELEBRATED AT 
KHAR GYMKHANA

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 Joshna Chinappa gave Indian squash its first big news of the new year. She emulated Anil Nayar and Saurav Ghoshal by winning a British Open Juniors title. She added the under-19 girls title to the under-17 one she had won two years ago. Runner-up in the under-19 last year to Egyptian Omenya Abdel Kawy, Joshna Chinappa ended the run of unseeded South African sensation Tenille Swartz in four games 3-9, 9-3,9-6 9-3.

Tenille had won the under-17 title in Scotland earlier. She had been the giant-killer in this event. She claimed the first game as Joshna was studying her game. After that she was in control laying the basic game well. 

Now all eyes will be on Joshna to win the World Juniors title in Belgium in August. This is her last year in juniors. Her father Anjan sees encouraging portents. 

The British U-19 winner has usually gone on to win the World Juniors title. So Nicole David and Omenya Abdel Kawy will have company after the Belgium event. 

Joshna's form was lackluster at the Asian Juniors. Maybe it was lack of competition. But she gave Indian fans a lot of hiccups both in the individual and team events. Such prodigality won't do. Training under Satinder Bajwa could help. She had a stint earlier when it was her first proper training under a coach (she had picked up the game from dad). The stories Baj told her about world class players excited her. Baj concentrated on her movement and bending while taking certain shots. Plus mental toughness and focusing. Joshna feels her front court game could be better.

One hopes Bajwa irons this out before the World Juniors.
  

World Squash Day was celebrated across the world on 19 March with unprecedented fervor. This is as part of an effort to spread the game even though it is amongst the fastest growing game. The convenience of playing anytime in any season, any weather, anytime and the benefit of getting a quick and intense workout are known to many followers of the game, yet there is immense scope for its growth. The Squash community also needs to convey in no uncertain terms to the International Olympic Committee that the game ought to be included in the Olympics based on its popularity. A bid has been filed and IOC will decide in July if Squash will be in the Olympics 2012. 

Squash Racquets Association of Maharashtra organized a host of fun games and competitions on the occasion of World Squash Day at Khar Gymkhana. The 'play as you arrive' Doubles Handicap was won by Girish Jadhwani and Kishore Wanwari, and Vikram Malhotra and Christopher- a Tennis National Champion playing Squash for the first time- were Runners Up. Fosters sponsored a Yard Glass Guzzle which Naresh Asrani won. In this most keenly contested event, participants had to down three and a quarter pints of beer in as less time as possible and with minimum spilling.

Over 150 enthusiasts joined in the festivities on the first time SRAM has organized this celebration. Several new comers were introduced to the game.
Shiv Malhotra (Secretary General of SRAM) cutting the cake on the World Squash Day along with the participants at Khar Gymkhana, Mumbai.
   

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