After a decade of ruining the game of Squash in India, SRFI has finally run out of luck. What all it had done to the detriment of the game has been reported far too frequently to be repeated here, but anyone who needs details can refer to the petition filed in Delhi High Court by A.I.Singh and Others against Union of India, SRFI and Others (available on ISP website)     

Firstly, SRFI has been caught red-handed harboring and promoting age-fudgers. Ravi Dixit, SRFI's latest blue-eyed boy, proclaimed by Cyrus Poncha as SRFI's most promising import so far, has different date of births according to documents available with us! Ravi Dixit has 'won' the Boys Under-15 National Title beating Aditya Jagtap, who is based in Mumbai, Maharashtra. Squash Rackets Association of Maharashtra (SRAM) had written to SRFI asking for stripping Ravi of the title and giving it to Aditya. SRFI's reply that Ravi had been tested by SRFI was grossly unsatisfactory. SRAM has now passed a resolution barring Ravi from participation in any tournament in Maharashtra unless tested for age by SRAM. The decision has been communicated  to the Sports Ministry and Government Observer for squash (Brig. Raj Manchanda) with a request for intervention. 

Subsequently, SRFI did not send Ravi for the German Junior Open, reportedly citing that he did not get a visa. We find this impossible to believe, since Ravi is the reigning Scottish Under-15 Champion (until Scottish Squash takes appropriate measures) and has travelled to various other countries for participation in Squash tournaments. 

Secondly, the players from Chennai, past and present, are not exactly excelling, as Cyrus Poncha keeps claiming. Reminding one of medieval alchemists trying to turn lead into gold, Cyrus said- “Our experiment with success continues this year too with more promising junior players headed for this championship”, before departing for German Junior Open 2007 with several players who had nothing to do with SRFI. Aditya Jagtap, won the Under-15 title, and the results SRFI's Chennai-based players got ranged from Runner's-Up position to 47/51 positions. But then, let’s not forget that Cyrus got a Dronacharya Award, most undeservedly, only by harping about his imaginary role in several players' development. Players are having to leave Chennai, and those based elsewhere have begun to realize that SRFI may have a facility for training, but no soul or passion to train players. Aditya Jagtap's win at the German Open has proved beyond a shadow of doubt that success and SRFI are not even remotely connected- one doesn't have to be subservient to SRFI to succeed- far from it in fact. Less said about Maj. S. Maniam's contribution to SRFI's misadventures the better, but it is important to point out that he has failed to maintain his dignity and image he was once known for. Instead, he has become just another pawn to Ramachandran, at the detriment of Indian players including the Chennaiites. Saurav Ghosal, who has now become India's top ranked PSA player, has shot up in the rankings after leaving Chennai, and the other PSA players- Ritwik, Joshna and Dipika have no contribution from SRFI in where they are today. That Joshna and Deepika don't train in Chennai despite residing there says it all. Cyril Kuhn has left Chennai after shifting there, and spending 3 years there for training. Harinder Sandhu, India's first male champion at Scottish Junior and an extremely promising player while based at Chandigarh, has spent 4 years in Chennai and not achieved anything noteworthy. Just recently, Sujat Barua, who had also moved base to Chennai 2-3 years back has gone to Egypt to coach with Sammy Farag for a few weeks. Sammy was in Mumbai recently to coach the top players in a camp organized by ISP. Sujat was invited to attend, and was impressed with the meaningful training at this camp. 

Just for the record, Major Maniam has been paid over fifty lakhs rupees from the Indian exchequer since he started his vacation in India as 'consultant' for Indian squash. Leave aside benefiting from his presence, almost nobody in the squash community outside Chennai would even recognize him. In the very least, he could have put his