NEWS NEWS NEWS

 

11- year-old Pakistani creates history

ISLAMABAD: Haider Jamal Zafar became the youngest ever player to complete in British Junior Open Squash Championship. Previously, the record in the U-14 event was held by former World Champion Jahangir Khan, who played in the British Open at13 years and 7 months. Haider, who comes from Punjab town of Jhang, holds second position in junior ranking of the province. Khan retired in 1993 and compatriot Jansher Khan 28, currently holds the world number one title as Pakistan maintains its supremacy in the game.

Asian Squash

The senior Asian squash championship will be held at Kuala Lumpur from July11 to19. The Championship is to be held at the newly constructed squash arena for the Commonwealth Games Complex.

Mekhala up 15 rungs

National Men’s champ Arjan Singh and Women’s champions Mekhala Subedar improved their World squash rankings this year. Mekhala, who ranked 105 last year, has moved up 15 places to 95 where women’s world champion Sarah Fitz- Gerald of Australia heads the list. Arjan Singh has moved from 84 to 80 in the men’s ranking.

Jaiswal wins collegiate title

Avish Jaiswal of Sydeneham claimed the inter collegiate squash tournament organised by Mumbai University. Jaiswal defeated Siddharth Thacker of Government Law 14-17, 15-0, 15-2, 15-2. In the semifinals, Jaiswal overcame Kapil Tedarwal of H. R. Commerce in straight games to win 15-4, 15-12, 15-13. While Siddharth got a walk over from numero uno Akhil Behl of Sydenham. The opening game was evenly contested.

Mumbai to host World open squash

This Year’s US $175000 World Open squash will be held at the Cricket Club of India from November 30 to December 7 1998.

Representatives of the Professional Squash Association and the 1998 Mahindra World Open organising committee had presented the logo design. Promotional plans and format changes at Kuala Lumpur recently for the event to be held for the first time in India.

The World Open includes an expansion of the main draw from the original 32 to 64 players and the invitation of eight exempt players into the qualifying rounds.

”We felt the time was right to distinguish the Mahindra World Open by making it the most difficult tournament to win and by including players who could not normally be able to enter” said John Nimmick, executive director, PSA.

Squash Academy

CHENNAI: Chennai, home of many academies, may have one more, to produce talented squash players. According to Asian Squash Rackets Federation and Tamil Nadu Squash Rackets Association (TRASRA) President N. Ramachandran, if TNSRA’S efforts to have their own facility is realised soon, a full time academy would also be set up to spot talent.

Peter Nicol of Scotland, who won last year’s Mahindra International title, is heading the list in the men’s section. Nicol is set to have a long reign at the top of the world squash ladder. He overtook Jansher towards the end of the last year and then continued there in the March rankings of the PSA.

Now with Jansher plagued with a knee problem it is unlikely that Nicol will let go of the top spot. Nicol had a great l997 reaching semi-finals of all PSA events and winning four titles and beating Jansher three times in a row.

Vineet Asthana tops

Mumbai lad Vineet Asthana beat his twin brother Vinay10- 9, 8-10, 9-1, 9-3 to win the Men’s Under-25 event at the US Squash Championship held at Los Angeles in February.

Parth loses final

India’s Parth Doshi was top seeded for the Sportsexcel Milo open but lost in the final to Aaron Soyza of Malaysia 9-6,9-7,9-2. He stayed back to train with Maniam, the reputed Malaysian coach. Meanwhile, the fourth leg of the Asian junior circuit will be held in Chennai in October. The earlier legs are in Malaysia, Hong Kong and Singapore.

PSA RANK FOR MEN AS ON 1-3-98

RANK (PREV) NAME COUNTRY
1 1 PETER NICOL  SCO
2 2 JANSHER KHAN  PAK
3 3 JONATHAN POWER  CAN
4 4 RODNEY EYLES  AUS
5 5 AHMED BARADA  EGY
6 7 ALEX GOUGH  WAL
7 6 SIMON PARKE  ENG
8 8 ANTHONY HILL  AUS
9 11 MARK CHALONER  ENG
10 10 DAN JENSON  AUS
80 84 ARJAN SINGH  IND
231 256 AKHIL BEHL  IND

PSA RANK FOR WOMEN'S AS ON 1-3-98

RANK 

NAME  COUNTRY
1 SARAH FITZ-GERALD  AUS
2

MICHELLE MARTIN 

AUS
3 SUE WRIGHT  ENG
4

CASSIE JACKMAN 

ENG
5 CAROL OWENS  AUS
6

SABINE SCHOENE 

GER
7 SUZANNE HORNER  ENG
8

LIZ IR VING 

AUS
9 LINDA CHARMAN  ENG
10

FIONA GEAVES 

ENG

INDIA CEMENTS NATIONAL SQUASH CHAMPIONSHIP (CHENNAI)

MEN  : AKHIL BEHL BEAT ARJAN SINGH   0-9, 9-5, 9-2, 9-7 
WOMEN
 : MEKHALA SUBEDAR BEAT SOHINI KUMARI   9-2, 9-1, 9-0 
PROFESSIONALS
 : BALA MURUGAN BEAT CHANDRAKANT PAWAR   9-5, 9-7, 9-1 
OVER 35 MENS
 : YOGENDRA SINGH BEAT CHANDRAKANT PAWAR   9-2, 9-0, 9-4 
OVER 45 MENS  :BHARAT INDER SINGH BEAT LT. COL. K.J.VOHRA   9-4, 6-9, 9-0, 9-3 
OVER 55 MENS
: SHIV NANDA BEAT MUNEER SAIT   9-3, 9-6, 4-9, 9-4

INTER-STATE SQUASH CHAMPIONSHIP

SEMIFINAL :
MAHARASHTRA BEAT SERVICES ’B’ 
5-0 
AMITPAL SINGH KOHLI BEAT JASBIR SINGH  9-1, 9-5, 9-7 
AKHIL BEHL BEAT DHIRAJ BHARGAV  9-2, 9-6, 9-6 
MANISH CHOITRANI BEAT MANDEEP GREWAL  9-3, 9-2, 9-0 

DELHI BEAT SERVICES 'A'  3-1 
RITWIK BHATTCHARYA BEAT ANUJ KALIA  9-1, 2-9, 1 -9, 9-2, 9-0 
ARJAN SINGH BEAT RAJDEEP BRAR  9-2, 9-5, 9-2 
GAURAV MURUGUN BEAT MILAN KHURANA  9-5, 9-4, 6-9, 9-7 
YOGENDRA SINGH LOST TO NAVNEET NARIN  0-9, 3-9, 3-9

FINALS
MAHARSHTRA BEAT DELHI  3-2 
Niraj Shirgaokar BEAT GAURAV MURUGAN  9-5, 9-1, 4-9, 5-9, 9-1 
PAUL FERREIRA BEAT YOGENDRA SINGH  9-1, 9-2, 9-1 
AVISH JAISWAL BEAT SAMIR THAKRAL  9-7, 9-1, 9-1 
AKHIL BEHL LOST TO ARJAN SINGH  0-9, 3-9, 10-9, 9-4, 2-9 
MANISH CHOITRANI LOST TO RITWIK B.  10-9, 0-9, 9-10, 6-9

ALL INDIA INTER UNIVERSITY TOURNAMENT 1-2-98
QUARTER FINALS
MIMBAI BEAT OSMANIA UNIVERSITY  3-0

SEMI FINALS
MUMBAI BEAT DELHI UNIVERSITY   3-1

FINAL
MUMBAI BEAT AHILYA UNIVERSITY  3-1
PREMAL JAVERI BEAT AMRISH MOMAE  9-3, 9-1, 9-0 
SIDDHARTH THACKER BEAT TOHFIZ KHAN  9-5, 9-0, 9-0
KAPIL TODARWAL BEAT SIDDHARTH RAJOPADY  4-9, 9-6, 5-9, 9-2, 9-4 
CARK BOKDAWALA GAVE A WALK OVER TO NIRANDA KHANDELWAL

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