Press Reports 2004

  Give squash more exposure: Ezra
Mid-day : 28/11/2004

Former National champion Adrian Ezra’s arrival from London spiced up the final day of the CCI-Western India Open squash tournament on Saturday before his exhibition match with current National champ Ritwik Bhattacharya, theerstwhile squash stalwart turned back the clock.

“The CCI is my home. Though I am settled in London, I do my best to follow what’s happening over here.

“Apart from coming down to India once a year, Ritwik keeps me informed on how the game is progressing,” he said. Ezra won six National titles on the trot.

When asked as to why India has yet to produce a squash world champion, Ezra said: “It’s just a matter of the concerned bodies coming together and dedicating their time and efforts in bringing more recognition to the game. As far as talent is concerned, there is no reason why we shouldn’t be competing head on with powerhouses like England, Pakistan, Egypt and the likes” Ezra said.

“Also, in a country where it’s cricket that hogs all the spotlight, it would be a huge boost if the media turned their attention towards budding squash players. Only then corporates will sit up and take notice” he added.

Ezra wants to organize an invitational tournament in January which will have some quality foreign players ranked between 25 and 75 in the world as well as local Indian players.

“The idea is to promote Indian squash and in order to do that, what better place to start than at the grassroots level,” said Ezra, who was recently inducted into the Squash Hall of Fame.

From humble backgrounds, squash boys of Dhampur rebound on court

In Khar for squash tournament, the children of middle-class sugar mill employees from Uttarpradesh continue to make their mark in an elitist sport

They are squash’s wandering brotherhood and are ample proof that the game is rapidly breaking free of its elitist trappings. 

A couple of years ago, the boys from Dhampur, a town situated about 166 km from New Delhi, were only a handful at the city’s squash tournaments. 

Children of middle-class employees of Dhampur Sugar Mills, this clique took to squash thanks to the mill’s squash enthusiast-owner Vijay Goel. After learning the sport on Goel’s airconditioned squash court back in Dhampur, these kings were encouraged to play in tournaments around the country. 

Travelling on their own the youngest nine years old-without adult escots, thse children have put behind their humble backgrounds and blended with participants whereever they go. And they’re making their mark in competitions. 

At the recent Khar Gymkhana All India Schools squash tournament, there were 11 participants from Dhampur. There are difinetely more people coming in now,” says Naresh Kumar (16), who lost in the semis in the under-17 category. 

“It’s nice to know that youngsters are taking to the game early on,” he says, pointing to Khush Sharma (9), who is making his first trip to Mumbai. 

Imran Khan (18) was the first of the boys from Dhampur to make it to the national stage when he won the U-13 National title a few years ago. 

Ravi Dixit (12) finsihed third in the U-13 catgory after losing to Dhampur’s Pramjeet Singh (12), who went on to take the crown. 

“We would never have had the money to travel like this. We were in Chinnai last month, we are going to Jaipur now. It’s because of the suppot we get that we have the opportunity to participate,” says Imran. 

Such is the sense of tradition among them that older boys always take care of the younger ones. The eldest usually manages the finances on their trips. 

Do the younger ones feel homesick? “Yes, they do,” laughs Kumar and he picks out nince year-old Deepak Mishra. “a lot when he came with us to Kolkata.” 

However, the boys from Dhampur have always had to put up with allegations that they fudge their ages to play in lower age-groups. 

Ahead of the Junior Nationals in Ajmer, Singh, Dixit and Imran have been summoned to the Squash Racquets Fedearion of India (SRFI) courts in Chennai to undergo age verification. 

Th lst time this happened, two boys were found guilty. The boys, however, claim innocense. 

“People complain that we manipulate only because we win a lot,” says Dixit, “Do I look older than 12?”

Mid Day chairman honoured
By: A Mid Day Correspondent
September 2, 2004 By: A Mid Day Correspondent
September 2, 2004 By: A Mid Day Correspondent
September 2, 2004

The Cricket Club of India has conferred honorary life membership on Mid Day Multimedia Ltd chairman Khalid A-H Ansari.

Ansari is president of the Squash Racquets Association of Maharashtra and has reported on sports for over 40 years.

Union Food and Agriculture Minister Sharad Pawar along with Manohar Joshi, Nana Chudasama, Sanjay Manjrekar, Navjot Singh Sidhu, Ajit Kelkar, Shyam Bhatia, Murli Deora, J R Gagrat and Faiz Jasdenwalal were honoured too.

“We honour those who deserve to be honoured,” said club president Raj Singh Dungarpur yesterday.

“The executive committee took the decision of awarding them honorary life memberships for their contribution in the various fields they are associated with,” CCI’s chief executive and secretary M R Renjen said.

The age-old club had also honoured squash legend Jahangir Khan similarly on his recent trip to Mumbai.

Enough of your Hitlerism, SRFI!
   By: Khalid A-H Ansari
   August 4, 2004

For a very long time now, this column has scrupulously refrained from writing about the sordid politics that the Squash Rackets Federation of India (SRFI) has been indulging in to the detriment of the game, in general, and its junior players, in particular.

The decision to not stoop to the odious levels of the game’s parent body was motivated by considerations of avoiding washing dirty linen in public, and concern that taking the game’s despotic Fuhrer head-on may not be in the best interest of the young players of Maharashtra.

The reasons for my reluctance to expose the heinous politicking of the SRFI were two-fold:

(a) Professional ethics (this writer is president of the Squash Racquets Association of Maharashtra and, therefore, an interested party) and,
(b) Concern for the future of young players from Maharashtra.

The SRFI’s track record is replete with instances of high-handed victimisation of young players, whose parents do not pay blind obeisance to the diktats of the high-and-mighty SRFI.

But we at SRAM (the state association was disaffiliated four years ago on an absurdly minor technicality) have been pushed to the limit. Enough is enough. For far too long the game has suffered, its growth and development stunted because of the petty politics of SRFI.

The greater interest of the sport and junior players, our raison d’etre, have now made it imperative for me to speak up against the tyrannical style of functioning of N Ramachandran, the autocratic SRFI secretary-general, and his cohorts.

With the unquestioning support of his henchmen, Ramachandran controls the game at the national level in Hitlerian fashion (state associations that do not accept his suzerainty are summarily disaffiliated), with total disregard for the interest of the sport and the sensitivities of budding young players aspiring to make their mark at the national and international levels.

Worse still, Ramachandran, who loves to flaunt his political connections, has manoeuvred his way to get himself ordained as secretary general for life of SRFI, his personal fiefdom!

The secretary general for life continues to ride roughshod over all matters concerning squash in the country, with help from self-appointed state associations and hand-picked stooges, whom he has shrewdly positioned as office bearers (at least two are on his official payroll), as well as some sycophants in the press.

He bans junior players at will, disaffiliating state associations, threatening those who dare stand up against the national body and demanding that no association or individual lift a little finger without the express by-your leave of the SRFI.

Ramachandran has been making loud but empty noises about re-admitting SRAM as a full (we are currently an affiliate) member of SRFI for a number of years.

He did us the courtesy of personally coming to Mumbai on two occasions for discussions — but shamelessly reneged on decisions arrived at both times.

SRAM indisputably accepts SRFI as the parent national body for the sport of squash.

But it zealously fights for autonomy in all matters concerning the game in Maharashtra, without the constant, high-handed imposition of SRFI suzerainty at all times (it even insists that SRAM change its secretary general just because Ramachandran hates his guts!) — and its Machiavellian power politics.

At SRAM, our only concerns are the well being of the game and the interest of our players, who come before all else.

We respect the authority of SRFI at the national level but will never be prepared to surrender our own at the state level.

SRAM has been fighting tooth-and-nail against attempts by SRFI to:

* Discriminate against our players wishing to participate in tournaments abroad, just because they do not come from Chennai (the hallowed headquarters of SRFI) and because they cannot possibly miss studies and spend large sums of money repeatedly to attend “training camps” and “selection trials” there. (More than 75 per cent of the trainees come from states other than Tamil Nadu).

* Adamantly refuse to be transparent in the selection process, thereby putting a premium on sycophancy on the part of players and parents.

* At a time when sponsors are difficult to come by, scuttle SRAM’s proposed sponsored tournaments by giving dates and laying down conditions that are almost impossible to abide by.

* Unfairly influence seedings of players.

* Ban, or threaten to ban parents and/or their wards if they show the slightest disapproval of SRFI’s policies and style of functioning. Needless to say, even threats of (unjust) bans can demoralise youngsters and jeopardise their future.

With the assistance of cronies whom it appoints as officials at tournaments in Maharashtra, (and who are more loyal than the king himself), SRFI has unjustly banned players from our state, Chennai and elsewhere on flimsy grounds, while its own errant officials are let off Scot- free.

Cases in point are: (a) The recent harsh SRFI executive committee decision to ban young Cyrus Vakil for six months (he was severely reprimanded by SRAM), while (b) Referee Vaman Apte, who was banned for six months by SRAM following a severe warning two years ago for a similar offence was, in the same instance, totally exonerated by the czars in Chennai.

It may be noted that the referee was present at the meeting at which the decision to ban Vakil was taken, making Apte, a former SRAM president, at once, prosecutor, judge and jury.

* Prevent Maharashtra players from going abroad on private training programmes without SRFI permission on pain of disciplinary action.

* Prevent foreign coaches, and even squash dignitaries from the world squash body such as World Squash Federation President Emeritus HRH Tunku Imran and President Jehangir Khan from coming to Maharashtra, on purely private visits.

* Fail to take strong action following serious complaints from SRAM about alleged cheating on age, which has assumed alarmingly endemic proportions in the country.

* Bully press reporters and prevent them from reporting SRFI misdeeds by threatening them with legal action in the exercise of their normal duties.

A recent example of sycophancy of the SRFI pooh-bahs is an obviously prejudiced, patently one-sided and mischievous — anonymous — report in the Times of India (presumably written by its reporter Naoshirvan Vakil), quoting only Naval Pundole, a close friend and former colleague of Apte on the SRAM managing committee — and no other “senior player!”

Whatever happened to balance in reporting?

It is shocking that a newspaper of the standing of the Times of India should allow such jaundiced reportage in its columns by a reporter who is the object of ridicule in squash circles for his toadyism.

Pandole obviously ‘leaked’ the letter in question, addressed to yours truly, to reporter Vakil, whose proximity to SRFI bosses is no secret.

For the information of Naval Pandole, a former player and referee of repute and worthy scion of a distinguished business and sporting family, Apte’s technical credentials as referee were NOT the issue in the incident investigated by the SRAM Disciplinary Committee. It was Apte’s conduct on court.

The committee took a “very serious view of the fact that as a former president of SRAM, as also veteran player and coach,” Apte’s general behaviour in the past (he was severely warned for similar misconduct two years ago),” and especially in the incident under investigation, has been biased, arrogant, vindictive, violative of professional rectitude, unworthy of yourself, against the spirit of sport and brought disrepute to the game of squash.”

Writing this piece has been extremely distasteful for this writer, but it’s about time the true facts were presented to a confused readership.

Source : http://web.mid-day.com/sports/national/2004/august/89193.htm

Hit and Run
There’s nothing hotter this monsoon than a game of squash.
By : Georgina Maddox, Indian Express, Mumbai (23/7/2004)

Let the boys go out and play in the mud and rain.  The men are playing in swanky courts, dressed in trendy gear and bonding over the zippy thrill of slamming a racquet on a ball.  Simply put, the game of squash is seeing a resurgence.  “It’s one of the fastest growing games in the world.  It’s an all-weather sport and instant gratification for physical fitness.  Squash is catching on as the craze amongst the new urban corporate and children in India,” says Mahendra Aggarwal, director of Pro-Squash, a popular coaching company.

No surprises that Bollywood, the trend-o-meter of all things pop, is quick to catch on and mirror this in its films.  So, in Hum Tum while Saif Ali Khan and Jimmy Shergill discuss the finer points of Rani Mukerji’s love life, the squash ball is doing a back and forth, and even lands up giving Shergill a black eye.  In Yuva, Vivek Oberoi confesses his love for Kareena Kapoor to his kid brother, while they lie exhausted on the court after a game of squash.

While Tusshar Kapoor was a serious player of the game at one point, his desire to ‘beef up’ has cut short his days on the court.  Though the Gayab star says, “I would love to take up the sport again, if I find the time.  It’s a high-powered game and easy to lose weight with.”

The Club or The Leela, Andheri, are two places where he normally gets his dose of adrenaline. 

Aamir Khan may have a reel preference for cricket, but the real way this star works up a sweat is on court.  In fact, he’s quite a regular at Khar Gymkhana and even cut the ribbon at Andheri’s Sport Complex’s A H Ansari court.  A place where one might just bump into Sharad Kapoor, who also loves the racquet sport. 

“It’s a great stress buster yet it’s cool, since you get to strategize at top speed,” says socialite-industrialist Sonia Garware, who started training when she was just 16, adding, “I normally wear just a tracksuit and a sweatband.” Garware is often seen playing at the Willingdon Club, Mahalaxmi, with her favorite gal pal Sheetal Mafatlal.

Squash is definitely an urban sport that fits in well with Mumbai’s space constraints.  Currently it remains within the ambit of the elite, where most courts are housed within exclusive clubs or charge a phenomenal fee for time on the court.  Aggarwal is however planning to bring about change.  “We’re hoping for sponsorship of selected promising players.  Building public courts is big on the agenda and we’re planning to set up extensive coaching programs with international and Indian specialists of the game.”

So let’s play ball. 

Why we think she's a champ : She ranks at second place in the world in the under-19 group and is number one in Asia (also U-19). She's the youngest National women's champ (a feat achieved by no women in squash for 48 years) and recently won the gold at the 9th SAF games. She was the first Indian girl to win the British Squash Championship in UK,  and held the senior national title at the age of 14. Her other conquests include wins at Malaysia, Singapore, Hong Kong, Scotland.

Why sh's so hot at her 'job' : She's a 'cool' dudette. And obviously in love with the game. She's confident but not arrogant. In fat, she's embarrassed with the attention she attracts. She come from a long line of squash players - her father, his father, his father's father..... you get the drift. Of course, she also brings in her talent and relentless practice. There's a combination for a world ranking if there ever was one....

Winning attitude : "I try preparing mentally and physically before a tournament. I talk to myself a lot on the court - as part of maintaining a strong mental edge.

Ghosal, 1st Indian to be rated world junior No. 1

Times of India –23-7-2004 

CHENNAI: Sourav Ghosal has become the first Indian to be rated world number one among juniors and has been given pride of place in the coming World Junior squash championships to be held in Islamabad from August 6.

Seventeen-year-old Ghosal from Kolkata, who has been here for two years pursuing his studies and also the game, has been adjudged the world's best junior, based on his performance during the last two years in tournaments across the globe.

N Ramachandran, President, Squash Rackets Federation of India (SRFI), made the announcement here on Thursday evening during the ongoing second ICL PSA World Open.

Ghosal had won the British Junior Open in January 2004 and was part of the silver medal winning Indian team at the SAF Games in Islamabad.

Winning his first International title in the under-17 age group at the German Open in May 2002, Ghosal rose in stature, annexing the Under-17 Dutch Open in Amsterdam in July 2002. He went on to claim the title in the under-19 category at the German Open in 2003

His title triumph in the British Open was creditable, as he was ousted in the quarters in the same tournament last year.

In the World Junior championship at Egypt last year, India had finished fifth in the team championship.

Apte banned for one year
Mid-day 22/7/2004

The SRFI had banned Cyrus Vakil for abusing Apte during a semi-final match of the Indian Oil Otters Open squash tournament in May this year. The committee also reprimanded Vakil for his off court behavior.

The SRAM executive meeting was held last week and after hearing witnesses, the committee decided to slap  a ban on Apte. "All the witnesses said Vakil was well behaved on the court and only questioned Apte's decision. All palyers are allowed to question a call and we did not see anything worong in that," SRAM secretary general Mahendra Agarwal said.

Agarwal pointed out that similar incidents had happened in the past.

Apte will not be able to referee, but will be able to compete in the tournaments held in the state. When contacted he was unaware of the development. "All I can say is that if the association wants to support a player who has misbehaved than nothing can be done about it. I don't understand how a referee can be punished for being strict with players on court."

"I have chaired international tournaments and no one found me vindictive. I am surprised that the association has taken  a decision after hearing a few witnesses," said Apte.

Squash bronze after 14 year
Times of India : 28th June 2004

CHENNAI: After 14 years, the India men’s team won the bronze medal in Asian senior squash championship held at Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. The Indian team, comprising Ritwik Bhattacharya, Saurav Goshal, Siddarth Suchde and Manish Chotrani defeated Kuwait 2-0 ensuring the bronze medal, a press release from the Squash Rackets Federation of India said here on Monday .The last time the men’s team won a bronze medal was in Kolkata in 1990. 

In the individual championships, Ritwik Bhattacharya and Joshana Chinnappa put up an impressive performance, before losing to eventual championship, before losing to eventual champions Ong Bee Hee 5-9,0-9,5-9. Joshana went down fighting to top seed Nicole David 3-9,8-10,4-9 in the semifinal. 

Results: 
MEN
India BT Kuwait 2-0 
S Suchde bt his Ali AL Ramzi 9-7 9-0 9-0
R Bhattacharya BT Bader el Hussaini 9-2 9-1 9-5
WOMEN: 
India lost to Japan 1-2 
Supriya Balsekar lost to Kozue Onizawa 3-9 3-9 3-9; 
Joshana Chinnappa bt Mami Nishio 9-2 9-67-9 9-4;
Mekhala Subedar lost to Chinatsu Matsui 8-10 0-9 2-9

Penang International Junior Championship 2004 (8^th – 11^th June 2004)
Bukit Dumbar , Penang

BOYS UNDER 17 :
3rd/4th: Elvinn Keo (Pg) beat Harinderpal Singh (Ind) 9-4,9-5,5-9,9-6   

BOYS UNDER 15 :
Final:Kamran Khan beat Vikram Malhotra (Ind) 9-6, 10-9, rtd.

BOYS UNDER 13 :
Final:Aditya Jagtap (Ind) beat Rahul D’Cunha (Ind) 9-6,7-9,10-8,9-4

BOYS UNDER 11 :
Final: Mahesh Mangankar (Ind) beat  Tarun Nambiar (Ind)) 4-9,10-8,8-10,9-7,10-8
3rd/4th: Abhishek Pradhan (Ind) beat T. Devamuthan (Sel) 9-4,9-0,9-0

GIRLS UNDER 11 :
Final: Airin Abd. Rahman(Mel) beat Sachika Balvani (Ind) 10-9,9-3,7-9,9-3
3rd/4th:Ankita Sharma (Ind) beat Saumya Kharki (Ind)     10-9,9-6,9-3

SEMI - FINAL :

BOYS UNDER 17
Harinderpal Singh (Ind) lost to Randy Lim (Pg) 9-7, 2-9, 4-9, 9-6, 7-9

BOYS UNDER 15
Vikram Malhotra (Ind) beat Terence Lim (Pg) 9-3,6-9,9-2,9-1

BOYS UNDER 11
Mahesh Mangaonkar (Ind) beat Devamuthan T. (Sel) 9-0,9-1,9-1
Tarun Nambiar (Ind) beat Abhishek Pradhan (Ind) 9-3,9-5,6-9,5-9,10-8

GIRLS UNDER 11
Sachika Balvani (Ind) beat Ankita Sharma (Ind) 6-9,9-5,5-9,9-2,9-5
Saumya Kharki (Ind) lost to Airin Abd. Rahman (Mel) 1-9, 1-9, 1-9 

BOYS UNDER 13 :
Aditya Jagtap (Ind) beat Muhd. Yassin (Pg) 9-4,9-0,9-0       

QUARTER-FINAL

BOYS UNDER 11:
Mahesh Mangaonkar (Ind) beat Ryan Pasqual (Pg) 9-0,9-0,9-0
Tarun Nambiar (Ind) beat Ryosei Kobayashi (Jpn) 9-2,9-1,9-3
Abhishek Pradhan (Ind) beat Aditya Khatri (Ind) 9-3,9-2,9-1

BOYS UNDER 15 :
Vikram Malhotra (Ind) beat Gunraj Singh (Ind)  9-6,9-7,9-3
Ishan Patol Balvani(Ind) lost to Terence Lim (Pg) 3-9, 5-9, 9-4, 1-9

GIRLS UNDER 11
Sachika Balvani (Ind) beat Mithila T. (Sel)  9-1,9-0,9-1
Ankita Sharma (Ind)  beat Shria Khatri (Ind) 9-0,9-5,9-6
Saumya Kharki (Ind) beat B.Aparajitha (Ind) 8-10,10-9,9-4,7-9,9-2

MILO ALL STAR JUNIOR SQUASH CHAMPIONSHIP 2004

City lads sizzle at Malaysian Juniors

Express News Service
June 5, 2004

The city’s two top U-11 boys squash players have taken their rivalry to Malaysia now. Mahesh Mangaonkar and Abhish Pradhan took the courts in the U-11 final of the Malaysian Junior Open at the Astaka Squash Center in Petaling Jaya, Malaysia on Saturday.

Mangaonkar, the topseed at the event, eventually prevailed 9-6, 9-7, 9-6 on a day that saw India’s topseed women’s players Joshna chinappa claim the girls U-19 title beating third-fourth seed Malaysia Delia Arnold. The chennai girl came from being a game down to win 3-9,9-3,9-5,10-8 in46 minutes.

Top seed in the U-19 boys category, the National Junior Champion Sourav  Ghosal lost the U-19 final to Pakistan’s Khalid Atlas Khan 5-9,3-9,1-9.

Another Mumbai lad, Vikram Malhotra also made it to the boys U-15 final, but was mauled by Malaysia’s Kamran Khan 2-9,5-9,0-9.

Nessrine Ariffin beat top seed V. Anvesha Reddy 9-7,5-9,9-4,9-0 in the semis on way to the girls’ under-13 title.

Results

Boys Under – 19:Khalid Atlas Khan {PAK} beat Saurav Ghosal (Ind) 9-5, 9-3, 9-1
Boys Under-17: 7th/8th Place Playoff
Mohd. Asyraf {MAS} beat Harinderpal Singh {IND} 10-8, 7-9, 9-6, 9-7
Boys Under-15:Kamran Khan {MAS} beat Vikram Malhotra 9-2, 9-5, 9-0
7th/8th Place Playoff :Gunraj Singh {IND} beat Girish Sawlani {IND} 9-5, 9-1, 9-3
Boys Under-13:Aditya Jagtap {IND}beat  Rahul D'Cunha {IND} 9-1, 9-1, 9-2
7/8th place:Aadit Zaveri {IND} beat Zulhafiz Izanie Ramzan {MAS}8-10, 9-6, 9-3, 9-0
Boys Under-11: (Finals)
Mahesh Mangaonkar {IND} beat Abhishek Pradhan 9-7, 9-4, 9-1
Girls Under-19 (Finals)
Joshna Chinappa {IND} beat Delia Arnold {MAS}3-9, 9-3, 9-5, 10-8
Girls Under-17: (5th/6th Place play off)
Tehuni Guruge {SRI} beat Shibani Philip {IND}6-9, 9-3, 9-4, 9-6
Girls Under-15: 3-4th Place
Dipika Pallikal {IND}beat Amanda Cranston {NZL}9-5, 10-9, 9-3
Girls Under-13: Finals:
Nessrine Ariffin {MAS}beat V Anvesha Reddy {IND}9-7, 5-9, 9-4, 9-0
Girls Under-11: Finals:
Airin Abd Rahman {MAS} beat Ankita Sharma 9-3, 9-1, 9-6
3rd/4th Place Playoff:
Dija Sarah Sexton {AUS} beat Sachika Balwani {IND} 9-0, 9-4, 9-6
5th/6th Place Playoff:
Saumya Karki {IND}beat Shria Khatri {IND}9-1, 9-4, 9-5