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Josh machine Chinappa aims to turn pro

By: Anand I Naik
Mid-day, Mumbai - September 22, 2003

Joshna Chinappa might have taken more time warming up for her match than the time she took to beat Alisha Mashruwala 9-0, 9-7, 9-2 in the Under-19 final of the All India Little Masters Squash Tournament at Willingdon Gymkhana yesterday.

But yesterday’s performance was not unusual for the girl from Chennai.

Chinappa’s victories on the junior circuit for the past few years have been just as overwhelming as her performance in the final yesterday.

Ranked number two on the Indian senior circuit, Chinappa’s only aim now is to turn professional. “I continue to play in such (junior) tournaments since I have one year of schooling left. Also, the money is pretty good.

But the aim now is to play in the professional circuit and I will be starting with the Hong Kong Open this November” said the Lady Andal student, who pocketed a winners cheque of Rs 18,000 yesterday.

High on confidence after her creditable quarterfinal appearance in the World Junior Masters held in Egypt last month, Chinappa said the tournament was a “great learning experience.”

“Though I lost to the first seed (Egyptian Omneya Abdel Kawy) in the quarters, I thought I could have done well had I not met her so early in the tournament. But after playing her, I realised I have to improve a lot if I have to match her standards,” Chinappa admits.

But will the lack of quality in the Indian women circuit restrict her growth as a player? “Not really” she said. “I normally practice with under-17 players Saurav Ghosal, Vinayak Shetty and M Parthibhan who are really good.

Also the coaches at the Academy (Indian Cements Limited) are excellent.” Chinappa also has her plans for the next two years chalked out. “I intend to play as much as I can on the professional circuit and try and break in to the top 50,” Chinappa said.

Squash’s rising stars
As India’s Juniors slug it out on Pune’s squash courts, PT Sports the talent. 

Pune Times 27/09/2003

Squash, world-wide has be endefined by offs between Jansheer Khan and Jehangir Khan. Back in India, two young sportsmen and doing much the same and having turned pros now, are hoping to reach the heights that the great Khans managed. And maintain the healthy rivalry as well.

Saurav Ghosal and Gaurav Nandrajog are the top two rankers on the Indian squash junior circuit. At 17 and 18 respectively, Ghosal and Nandrajog are already number 3 and 4 in the men’s circuit as well.

Together, they are staking India’s claim on the world map of squash. India won a silver at the Asian junior squash tournament in Pakistan recently and finished fifth in the world juniors our highest ranking ever. All thanks to the efforts of these young guns. But it is the world pro-champions they are aiming for.

“Saurav has a better chance of doing well there,” says an honest Gaurav, who has been finishing runner-up to his younger counterpart for the last five years on the circuit. He continues his praise for Saurav, “He has an aggressive style of playing. Having won the Dutch juniors, German juniors and other important international tournaments.”

Saurav has equal regard for Gaurav. “Our man aim is to consistently do well for India. Gaurav had a key role to play in our success in the World and Asian juniors,” says Saurav.

On court, they are foes. “But once the game is over we are great friends, learning from each other,” maintains Saurav.

There is a third Indian junior, who is slowly but surely making his presence felt. Ranked number three in the junior circuit in India, Vikas Jhangra, who hails from Mumbai, was under-17 National Champion last year and has been in the Indian side for international tournaments ever since. “Sponsorship is a key area in India. In the last three years, India has done exceptionally well in squash. The world has recognized that the future of squash is in India. But we are determined to put squash on the front pages of magazines and newspaper in India. “We are committed to our cause of excelling in sports,” says Saurav. The three players do not have a ‘squash idol’, but are all praise for Ritwik Bhattacharya, India’s numero uno in the professional circuit. “He is a great motivator,” they chorus.

Boy, does this champion play hard!
With not enough Under-11 squash matches for girls, she plays the boys – and the men too

Indian Express, Mumbai : 21/09/2003

 Don’t go by this nine-year-olds lithe frame. Sachika Balwani has a temperament so fierce that she can make the boys she plays against blush. 

The national squash Under-11 girls champ has a peculiar problem-most tournaments don’t have a draw for girls her age. But rather than sit and watch the boys of her age play, Balwani simply plays the boys. 

This weekend, she made the Under-11 boys top seed Mahesh Mangaonkar earn his passage to the semifinals of the Little Masters All-India Squash Open at Willingdon Sports Club. That too, right after playing the girls’ Under-15 quarterfinals. 

Balwani lost to Mangaonkar and flung her racquet, leaving the visibly embarrassed winner to retrieve it for her. 

She plays the available girls categories too and got as far as the quarter-finals of the Under-11 boys and under-15 girls. But that’s not all – she also participates in the men’s handicap categories in some local tournaments. 

She partnered former national U-19 champion Vishal Kapur at a doubles tournament recently, where they lost in the quarter-finals. Says Sahil Vora, one of the opponents in that match, “For somebody, so young, she was very enthusiastic and never gave up. She just kept going, despite playing boys almost twice her age.”

The Std IV student of Bombay Scottish Girls School thinks it’s no big deal. “I just want to play, it doesn’t matter which category and which age group.” Balwani also loves the double-handed backhand returns, a rarity in squash made famous by English great Peter Marshall.

Isn’t  she at a disadvantage, playing boys? “It’s not like I don’t beat them, “ comes the reply. “The first match I ever played was against a boy, so its no problem at all.”

Her father Irshwin says her decision to play in these odd categories is essentially to improve her game and to stay match- ready. “Her confidence grows with every match and she learns from every loss,” he says.

Ritwik’s Kiwi run comes to an end

Times of India 28^th Aug 2003

It was pretty disappointing to lose after such a wornderful run,” was the reaction of Indian Squash star Ritwik Bhattacharys after he went down to New Zelander Kashif Shuja 10-15, 10-15, 15-9, 15-13 in the second round of the South Island squash Championships in Cristchurch. The Indian thus failed to make it a clean sweep in Kiwiland.

Ritwik who had won two successive PSA tournaments (Whakatane and Auckland) was not able to produce the goods this time around. The Indian had beaten Shuja, who is of Pakistani origin, in the Royal Oak final, the previous week in Auckland. Ritwik had this to say about his sojourn. “However I am happy with the way I played in New Zealand. I won 11 matches in a row before the defeat.”

Asked about the level of these theree tournament, “Well they were more like Satellite events, but some of the players have been ranked quite high, Kashif Shuja was top 50 at one time and Canada’s Sabir Butt and Egyptian Amr Mansi have also been ranked quite high.”

Bhattacharya currently in Delhi, leaves for Jaipur to play the Rajasthan Open. Ritwik palns to play in higher ranked PSA events in Barcelona and Qatar to break into the top 50.

SQUASH BUCKLING

Squash in India was long considered the domain of the wealthy. Now, a group of youngsters is taking it out of the society pages to the sports section.

For  years, much like the four walls it’s played within, squash in India has been restricted to an elite few-patrons of glitzy clubs in the metropolises and those in the services. A sport that never even tried to battle for column space in newspapers with cricket and hockey.

That was then. The current generation of players, through a combination of factors, have made sure that their due recognition. Ritwik Bhattacharya’s second consecutive Professional Squash players’ Association (PSA) title in New Zealand last week has just capped what has been a terrific year for this generation:                                                                                            

Chennai’s prodigious schoolgirl Joshna Chinappa became the first Indian to win the British Open title when she annexed the U-17 title in January.                

Sixteen-year-old Sourav Ghosal, singled out this year by national coach Cyrus Poncha as the best medal prospect, became the first Indian to win the German Junior Open.

Deepika Pallikal, current U-13 national champion, was a surprise winner in the U-13 category of the German Junior Open.

For years after former National champion Arjan Singh, there were no Indian’s active on the PSA circuit (that’s where the top stars hang out) till Ritwik made a quiet entry two years ago. Currently ranked 91, his ranking is bound to improve-to the 70s-after his two PSA titles.

And now, thanks to the Squash Racquets Federation of India(SRFI), three teenagers are turning professional, Chennai prodigy Ghosal, Mumbai’s Supreet Singh(18), who debuted on the PSA tour, and Joshna, who takes her first steps on WISPA (Women’s International Squash Players Association) tour. While the three are being sponsored in their first year by SRFI, another talented youngster, Delhi lad Gaurav Nandrajog (18) is digging into the prize money he earned earlier this year to pursue his PSA dream.

“For an apprising squash player, that’s the best way to hone your skills,” says Poncha.

So what caused the turnaround? Most observers, and the juniors themselves, feel the rigorous training camps conducted at the behest of SRFI by Malaysia’s famed squash coach Major Maniam and Poncha earlier this year went a long way in getting the players into shape.

“We put in about six to seven hours everyday prior to the Asian Junior Championships. The training regimen we followed also did a lot of good ,” recalls Nandrajog.

Maniam also feels that the structured approach to coaching has turned Chennai into a sort of  production unit for the sport in the country. “Tournaments are  held at the school level, from where we spot talent and put them through different levels at the ICL Squash Academy here in Chennai,” said Maniam. “This helps in developing youngsters and molding them into players of the future,” he said. Deepika Pallikal is one such player.

Six-time national champion and Arjuna Awardee Raj Manchanda believes that one reason why the youngsters have been doing well is the fact that there are fewer layers to the sport here- access to the big time, for those with talent, is easier. “There are no district-level tourneys that players have to deal with before they can get a shot at the nationals,” he points out.

One issue that Indian Squash players have to deal with is the US, which poses a peculiar problem. Every year, some of the country’s best talent is lost to prestigious Ivy League colleges, who offer them squash scholarships. Harvard, Princeton, Yale and current Collegiate champions Trinity College have Indians playing for them.

“It is a risky proposition to just let your child pursue a career in squash in India. There’s not too much happening except at the top. But if squash becomes a means to let him have the best of education in the US, then why not?” queries Manchanda. His son Anshul, a promising junior talent, got himself admitted at the prestigious Yale University in 2000.

Mumbai, a traditional hub of squash, seems to be badly affected with many of the city’s best talent studying abroad. Siddarth Suhde, a former national U-19 champion who led the Indian challenge at the Asian Juniors, is pursuing a degree overseas. Junaid Nathani, another promising junior India team, got himself a scholarship at New York’s Trinity College.

Poncha reckons that the SRFI’s initiative in sponsoring the youngsters on the professional circuit might stem the flow to a certain extent but not entirely. “It’s not practical. We can’t possibly assure that we can support them entirely,” said Poncha. “But the people who were being  sponsored assured us that they were not planning to persue studies abroad for now.”

For some like Ghosal, nothing, not even a scholarship, can be more inviting than representing the country. At just 16, he and Joshna were among the youngest Indian representation at that Busan Asiad last year. “Nothing betters that,” says Ghosal.

Sourav Ghoshal (16) :
A standard 12 student of Lady Andal High School, Chenani he attended Arun Lal’s Cricket Academy in Kolkata before switching to squash. Switched cities, too, moving to Chennai to train under Maniam and Poncha. He curbed a lot of his flamboyant strokes to get his basics right and has been in good nick since April this year. He beat European topseed Dylan Bennet on his way to the German Open in June.

Joshna Chinappa  (16) :
Became the youngest ever National Women’s champion at 14. Goshal’s schoolmate then created history by becoming the first Indian to win the British Open title earlier this year. Her rivalry with current national champion Mekhla Subedar is renewed every time they clash in the final of any major squash tournament in the country. But she’s a step ahead, having gone where no other Indian Junior has gone before quarter-final of the World Women’s Junior championship being held at Cairo.

Gaurav Nandrajog (18) :
First year Bcom student of Sri Ram College of Commerce, Delhi, was part of the Junior India team that played at the Asian Junior Championship this year. Often overshadowed by Ghoshal’s flamboyance, the gritty lad played out of his skin to beat Junior India player Sahil Vora at a recent big-money tournament in Mumbai. He needed to – the money was to finance his PSA debut.

Vikas Jhangra (17) :
Major Maniam thinks he’s one for the future. At 17, Jhangra’s languid grace makes his ome of Mumbai’s most exciting players. Though he was short listed for the Junior India team, he was left out of the final four at the Asian Juniors. A product of the Jindal Squash Academy in Vashind, Thane,Vikas nevertheless took part in the individual events and went down fighting in the pre-quarter final.

Deepika Pallikal (12) :
The standard six student of Good Shepherd High School, Chennai is the current U-13 national champion and created a flutter when she won the German Junior Open in June. Currently participating in the Plate events at the World Junior Championship, she is a product of the ICL Squash Academy, Chennai.

On Top, Down Under

IN the last couple of weeks India’s No 2 squash player Ritwik Bhattacharya is finally showing signs of fulfilling his unkept promise. His long search for success at the Professional Squash Association (PSA) has finally paid off.

Struggling for one title, Ritwik (23) landed two on the New Zealand circuit and is now nicely placed to add a third. “Finally months of  effort  and hard work had paid off; it felt wonderful and I savoured  the moment”, he said about the first win.

If it’s surprised outsiders, those who know Ritwik say he had it coming. He first made news in 1997-98 with a bronze at the Asian juniors; soon after, he won the National title.

Ritwik moved from Delhi to London in 2001 to train and play with the best in the world; at the same time, he turned pro. Now training near London (Essex county). He’s mange to smooth his rough edges under top coach Neil Harvey. Armed with a new contact with sports management firm Imagine Sport and two PSA wins, things finally seem to be looking up.  “There were lots of people who started doubting if I could ever do it and this was adding to the already large number of people who never throught I could do it in the first place. But again the people who had faith in me and were patient with me helped me along the way. But there is a long way to go”, he says.

-- Chandresh Narayanan (Indian Express)

Abhishek makes a squash buckling entry

Indian Express : 18/8/2003

He is already getting a taste of life in the fast lane. For Abhishek Pradhan-Mumbai squash’s newest bundle of talent-lunch is already a quick meal in the backseat of his car enroute practise. Abhishek celebrated his tenth birthday on Sunday with an upset victory over topseed Tarun Nambiar in the U-11 section of the Air-Tel Khar Gymkhana Inter-School and College Squash Tournament. However it was his grit and tenacity on court that generated all the buzz.

A relative newcomer to the sport (he didn’t know the rules when he played his first tournament last year) the standard five student of Don Bosco High School, Borivali, was spotted by Indian Squash Professionals (ISP) Chandrakant Pawar and after he finished runners-up losing to the seasoned Ramit Tandon at the All India Otter’s Club Open in June.

The ISP recognising his potential decided to adopt him two months ago. On Sunday, the plucky second seed re-inforced the faith shown in him upstaging Tarun in four games 15-12, 17-14, 15-17, 15-12 for his maiden title.

Abhishek impressed the most with his delectable drop shots, a rarity among juniors.

“He has a lot of enthusiasm, is a quick learner and is very young. When he came to ISP, he was raw talent and played with a lot of aggression. But in just two months, he has shown remarkable improvement ,”says Pawar, a nine-time National champion. The ISP’s previous adoptions include former National champion Deepali Anvekar and Priyanka Yadav.

His tenacity came to the fore in the semi-final on Saturday when up against schoolmate Mahesh Mangoankar, he got hit on the face in the decider. A five-minute break and a couple of ice-packs later, Abhishek was back on court to unleash some fiery strokes. Down 10-11 when hit, Abhishek retaliated conceding just one point before walking away with the match 15-6, 15-7, 11-15, 8-15, 15-12.

“He (Mahesh) is my friend. But after I got hit, I was determined that I have to win,” says the plucky lad.

Now under the tutelage of Pawar at the Leela, Abhishek travels to Andheri every afternoon after school.

Underdogs prevailed on Sunday as Vikas Jhangra and Shahnaz Dastur beat top seeds for the U-19 boys and U-17 girls titles. While Vikas upstaged Sahil Vora 15-12, 12-15, 15-13, 15-13, Shahnaz accounted for Madhura Paranjpe winning 9-15, 15-11, 17-15, 15-8.

New zeal for Ritwik, wins 2^nd pro title  

TIMES OF INDIA 18^TH AUGUST 2003

Mumbai: India No.2 Ritwik Bhattacharya is going great guns in New Zealand. After claiming his maiden squash title on the Professional Squash Association circuit last week at the North Island Championship in Whakatane, the Indian followed it up with a win in the Royal Oak event at Auckland on Sunday.

The No. 91-ranked and top seed Bhattacharya defeated world No. 46 Pakistan’s Kashif Shuja 15-12, 15-13, 15-13 in the final. He now moves to Wellington for another event beginning later this week.

Regarding the alienlike conditions in New Zealand, Bhattacharya said in an email message: “It was cold but I got there quite early about three days before the event so I got used to it.”

On his performance at the North Island Open, Bhattacharya said: “My toughest match was against South African John Ashley Abrahamse in the Quarterfinal. I had an off-day and had to grind out the victory. I played really well in the second round and didn’t give Egyptian Khalid Elebrashi a chance.

“In the semis against England’s Ashley Flathers I was in good form. The final was tough as my opponent was able to break my rhyth He said: “It’s unlike any challenge I’ve ever done before. The thought of meeting Nessie was a bit daunting, but I’m sure I’ll survive.”m. But I was happy to regain my momentum quite a few times in the match, especially after being up 6-2. I lost quite a few points thereafter and the game too. But I came back strongly and was pleased with the effort.”

Was he sure of winning once he got into the title clash? “It wasn’t a case of feeling I would pull through. I knew if I played well I would win, so I just had to focus on playing well as I had been feeling pretty solid and been in good nick of late.”

The three Kiwi PSA events have a rigorous schedule. Ritwik noted that he has to play five matches in three days, with two matches on Friday, two on Saturday and the final on Sunday.

On becoming the first Indian to win a PSA tournament, he said: “It feels great. It’s something I always wanted to do and now I am hungry for more.”

Ritwik claims 1st PSA title

Ranked 91, Ritwik was the top seed in this event. He had to work hard to beat England's Philip Barker in the men's decider. Bhattacharya had lost to Peter, Phillip's younger brother in the quarterfinals last year. Peter Barker was the runner-up at the World Junior championships in Chennai last year.

It was an important victory for Bhattacharya, with the event carrying PSA world ranking points. He has little time to rest as he plays next in Royal Oak Open in Auckland and later in Christchurch.

In the semifinals, Ritwik beat England's Ashley Flathers 15-14, 15-11, 15-12 and in the quarters beat SA's African John Ashley Abrahams 15-8, 15-11, 10-15, 15-7.