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Ritwik
Bhattacharya wins Malaysia squash tourney New Delhi (PTI):
Top seed Ritwik Bhattacharya survived a few tense moments before beating
fourth seed Pakistan's Bilal Zaman in a five-game thriller to clinch the NSC
Super Satellite Squash championship in Kuala Lumpur on Monday.
Ritwik got the
better of Zaman 11-6 9-11 9-11 11-9 11-9 in 45 minutes to win the USD 7,000
tournament.
"It is a
really special day for me. He was playing really well and it was a tough
match but I am happy to have come through," Ritwik told PTI from Kuala
Lumpur.
The former
national champion, who endured an 85-minute five-game semi-final yesterday,
said he could have won more comfortably but for some umpiring errors.
"I was 10-9
up in the third game but a winner was not given. So got a bit unlucky there.
Then the fourth and fifth games turned out to be really close. We were tied
9-9 in both the games but I pulled it off from there on," he said,
recalling the winning moments.
The 29-year-old,
whose career was in doldrums after a knee injury forced him out for five
months earlier this year, said he was back to full fitness and was prepared
to endure the longest of matches.
"It's
becoming a trend for me now to play five-gamers but the good thing is that I
am winning and I feel nice about my fitness level," he said.
"My game has
improved as well because I don't take winning and losing all that seriously
any more. I just go out there and enjoy myself. Earlier it was exactly the
opposite. I put too much pressure on myself... kept watching the videos of
the matches I lost and that affected me negatively," he recalled. Source : http://www.hindu.com/thehindu/holnus/007200711261927.htm |
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Life
and lovesquashed together India’s Number One
squash player Ritwik Bhattacharya is back in his hometown Mumbai after five
long years away. He returns looking to make his comeback after a knee injury
to his left leg halted his career. India’s
flag bearer on the Professional Squash Association tour, he saw his ranking
drop from 38 to 72 in one year, and he now looks to his family members and
his girlfriend, model and actress Neha Dhupia, for support and inspiration
along the road back to competing. You have shifted your
base back to India, and to Mumbai. Any
specific reasons for the move? Basically I have gained all that a squash player could gain from training abroad. And with my coach Neil Harvey moving out of England I thought I too should make the move. I love my country, and with people who love me around the atmosphere should definitely help me to regain the old touch. Do you mean your family,
and more importantly perhaps, your girlfriend Neha Dhupia? Yes.
I have my family and Neha around, it should really help me. The injury has been a bad patch in my career.
Slipping from 38 to 71, where I find myself today, is very difficult
to stomach. I do have a couple
of years of competitive squash left in me and I want to make the most of
them. I will do my best to come
back into the top 20. Dhupia
has said in the past that you were her friend, philosopher and guide.
Are you now looking to her for all that back? Yes, I am.
We have known each other for a while [ten years].
She is very simple and down to earth.
And what is more important is the fact she is innocent, which is very
difficult to find in her profession. Her
presence when I play big tournaments, and even during practice, should do
wonders for me, as will that of all my family members. Do you feel that the age
factor counts strongly in your sport? When it comes to tennis I
think it does: by the late 20s it is time to say good bye.
But not in squash. Look
at the top ten players around the globe.
They are between the ages of 28 and 32, which means I still have four
years of active squash left in me. So
age is not a concern at all right now. Who has been your mentor?
Has Jansher Khan filled this role for you? He is legend and a great
player. Watching him play gives one inspiration.
He will always remain special. What should be done to
boost the game in our country? There is abundance of
talent in our country. Many
youngsters are showing talent and developing their game. There
is no dearth of squash talent in the country, and what has emerged has been
improving fast as well. But,
ironically, the game is entirely centered around Chennai.
As a result the powers that be in the Squash Racket Federation of
India feel that Chennai is India. If
the game is spread all over our country, then there will be many Indians
among the top ranked players in the world.
Instead of concentrating just in Chennai, both the coaches and glass
courts should appear in at least five or six centers throughout the country.
Most important of all, coaches should be to catering to the
youngsters. You have just been
interacting with some of the youngsters. You promised them many things.
Can you elaborate for us? I have been one of the fortunate ones to have been able to train abroad. I have learnt many things in this game and it is the duty of any player in the country to give as much as they can back the game which has given them status in society. I am open to all the youngsters and I have told them that they can call me anytime to be their sparring partner, just in the way Uday Kumar worked with me a decade ago. |
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Future
perfect? |
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Down to her squash career, but that hasn’t
looked rosy this year. After a commendable rise to being 38th on the world
rankings in February this year, the 21-year-old has slipped to 45. All
this after playing a staggering 15 tournaments during the year. “I
haven’t really been consistent with my performances this year but from
next year onwards, I am going to pick and choose the tournaments I
participate in,” the Chennai resident, who is in the city for the Western
India squash tournament where she is the defending champion and the top
seed, says. Training Overseas “Besides, I am also going to South Africa - Durban, to be precise - for training. I will be training with Keith Matthews, who is currently with Mahesh (Bhupathi) and earlier, was also with Sania (Mirza). The (Mittal’s) trust is organising the whole thing for 25 athletes from India for three weeks,” Joshna says. “I am definitely going to do better than this year.” As cliched as it sounded, it did seem to come from someone who had sorted her mission out for the coming season. In this case, it was reaching the top 20 by next year. Joshna will also train in England with renowned coach Malcolm Wiltstrop before heading to the Americas for a month-long tour. Apart from reaching the top 20, there’s also playing the World Open. “I’d probably retire after I play the World Open,” she says with a muffled laugh when asked a tad bit early (pun intended) about any chances to retire. “Earlier, I had to take care of everything apart from playing also. But now the trust takes care of everything and I just need to play better. So it’s up to me now to perform better,” Joshna said. So anything happening apart from squash? “Movies,” pat comes the reply. “Ask me about any of the Hollywood celebrities and I can answer.” We would perhaps leave that for KJo |
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‘If
you play well rankings will follow’ |
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Jangra feels he is up against the odds in a rich man’s sport Squashed,
yet fighting
The death also
had him lose eligibility and Jangra had to shift was from the Jindal
Squash Academy (Vashid) to Borivalli. The change didi not deter his
resolve to keep on playing. “though the road turned rockey, I
didn’t want to give up my career,” he points out. He still
remembers his first trip to the British Open that was funded by his
father and says, “My father spent about Rs. 60,000/-, after which
a sum was deducted from his salary every month.” The second time
the Indian Squash Professionals open sored his trip and he managed
to reach the pre-quarterfinal stage over there. However, after
winning four nationals titles, this promising junior attracts no
sponsor. “Though I get racquets there is no financial help,” he
adds. Sandeep’s day starts at 4.30 am when he starts to coach the playerts at Club Aquaria (Borivali) and then turns his attention to his studies. The youngster, who practices later in the day, feels he might be lacking a little in experience to play in foreign tournaments. but he does not take time in saying that he would surely make up to the final of the CCI-Western India Squash tournament where he will start playing from Thursday. Sandeep is optimistic that if he is able to prolong the match, then he would have a slight edge over the top seed Ritwik Bhattacharya. |
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Hitting
shots, calling them too
The Mumbai lad
begins his campaign in the CCI – Western India Squash tournament
on Wednesday and has been top seeded in the under-17 and fourth in
the under-19 category. What attracted
his Manchester United the football fan on squash? His uncle
introduced Aditya to squash in 2007.
“I was fascinated with the speed of the game the very first
time I played it and then got hooked to it”, he said. After learning
the nuances of the game under Chandrakant Pawar at Matoshree Sports
Club, Aditya is currently coached by A.I. Singh and spends almost
half a year training under Neil Harvey in London and Amir Waigh in
Egypt. “Here I have
only Sandeep Jangra to train with.
The stints in London and Egypt help me to train with some of
the world best,” Aditya said. The 5 ft.11inch
youngster fills his tall frame gives him an advantage. “My height is
an asset”, Aditya said. “It
helps me cover the ball well and keep the opponent guessing.
I can play atleast four shots from the same angle.” But Aditya is
quick to point out that on the international circuit the high
fitness level of his opponents poses a challenge.
“The Germans and Malaysians, especially, tend to do better
in the sport because of their fitness.
They believe that the ability to hit the ball can come later
but they stress more on physical fitness initially.” However, the
standard 10 student who will give his exams as an independent
student, has shown that he can match the best.
Watch out for him on the Indian sport horizon. Shelar,
Sharma struggle MAYUR SHELAR and
Siddharth Sharma endured opening round blues before advancing to the
second round with hard-fought wins, in the 64t CCI-Western India
Open Squash Championship here on Tuesday. As the juniors stole the limelight on the opening day, Shelar rallied from a 0-2 deficit and a tight third game that stretched into extra points, to put it across a determined Kushal Thapa 7-9, 7-9, 10-9, 9-4, 9-3 in a thrilling boys under-13 first round encounter. In another exciting under-13 tie, Siddharth Sharma recovered from a 1-2 deficit to overcome P. Nagpal 9-3, 5-9, 3-9, 9-4, 9-2. In a boys under-17 first round match, Cyrus Sidhwa overcame the loss of the opening game and a tight second game that went into extra points to beat Naman Jiandani 7-9, 10-8, 9-3, 9-0. Fancied Rohan Advani was forced to top the second game before racing to an impressive 9-2, 6-9, 9-3, 9-4 win over Akshay Chawla to advance to the boys under-11 second round. |
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But it’s not only professionally that Ritwik is making waves. Personally too, the squash star is considered the newest poster boy of Indian sports. He dresses elegantly, loves interacting with people and his charismatic and bold personality make him charismatic and bold personality make him a sure fire winner socially. A man about town, Ritwik is often seen escorting the sultry Bollywood actor Neha Dhupia, who the paparazzi claim, is his childhood sweetheart. Wedding Bells While both of them claim that they are “just friends:, they have been seen looking very much in love at several dos. They have also been spotted together at award ceremonies and parties. Recently, in Kolkatta, the hotshot couple were promoting the international sunglass bran ‘Police’ (both Ritwik and Neha are brand ambassadors of ‘police’. In fact, at the recently held IIFA awards, Ritwik was also caught on camera chatting away with Neha. However, Neha’s mother Moninder asserts, Ritwik and Neha are just good friends. There ae no plans of them getting married yet. Right now they are both focusing on their respective careers.” Neha too insists, “ I don’t know why so much has been made out of my public appearance with him. I just like being with him. He is a companionable sort of guy.” Adds Ritwik, “The next thyree to four years are very important in my life. I have to reach the number one position anyhow. There are no marriage plans now.” Foot Note That besides, Ritwik wants to raise more awareness about squash in India. Not satisfied with the approach of the Indian Government towards the sport, he feels that the Government should encourage squash as a sport in India, especially as countries like Pakistan are doing far better in it than India. As of now, he is training hard in London under Neil Harvey, former world number 12, who has the record of having trained four world champions. Under him, Ritwik believes he can touch the sky. With the number one position set firmly as his goal and Neha Dhupia cheering him on, Ritwik is all set to go places
New coach for Dipika Pallikal
Mumbai: India’s secondbest woman squash player Dipika Pallikal has parted ways with coach Md Hafiz after a successful one-year stint that saw her climb to the top-100 in the world rankings and reach her first WISPA main draw at the Hurghada International in Egypt this May. The 16-yearold Chennai beauty has now joined forces with another Egyptian Amir Wagih with whom she worked for three months before the Doha Asian Games last December. “It was very fruitful working with Hafiz. Earlier my fitness wasn’t upto the WISPA level but I improved a lot in that aspect under him. But, he’s getting married and needs time for his personal life. So, I appointed Amir as my coach last month. I’ve worked with him before and it was a great experience. We haven’t been able to work much in the past one month as I’ve been busy playing tournaments but we will get back into overall training once I’m back in Egypt in November,’’ Dipika told TOI from Chennai, where she is busy preparing for her final Board examination paper on Thursday. While her contract with Wagih is yet to be finalised, Dipika would be working with the Egyptian national coach till the World Juniors in 2009. “He coaches the World’s top-two (Amr Shabana and Ramy Ashour) so there’s obviously a lot that I can learn. Also shifting base to Egypt has helped me as I can train with the best in business,’’ said Dipika, who won the U-19 title at the Junior Nationals in Ajmer. The next stop for the 68th-ranked Dipika is the WISPA event in Iran beginning from November 1. She will then travel to Egypt before attending the Mittal Champion’s Trust camp in South Africa in December.
Aditya leads resurgence
In an all-Maharashtra u-15 final, Mahesh Mangaonkar won a five-setter against Abhishek Pradhan who had promised to do well by winning the titles at Bombay Gymkhana and Jindal after a training stint in Egypt. Mahesh had won the u-13 last year. Said an elated Ravi Jagtap, father of Aditya who has sent him all over the world for tournaments: “Aditya had never won a national title, being runner-up twice. Ravi Dixit had the best of training at Chennai, Aditya trains in Mumbai with AI Singh. His coaching stints in England and Egypt with world renowned coaches like Neil Harvey and Amir Waghi also helped him immensely’’ Aditya, a 10th standard student at Bombay Scotish said: “I won because I tried and succeeded in breaking Ravi’s rhythm. I started lobbing the ball more and slowed down the pace. He then started making mistakes even after having a 2-1 match lead and being up 4-0 in the fourth game.’’
Overage crisis hits
national squash meet New Delhi, October 16 After the overage scandal that hit the prestigious Subroto Cup Football meet in the Capital and the ongoing sub-junior national badminton tournament in Dehradun, fudging of age also made an appearance on the opening day of the junior national squash tournament currently taking place in Ajmer. When a large number of players, including those from Delhi and Maharashtra, protested against some of the alleged illegible players in age-group categories, the organisers had to change the draw, particularly in the under-19 and under-11 boys’ age divisions, according to information reaching here. Tournament director Manan Mashruwala was not available for comment. A source in the Delhi team said: “It’s a bad precedent that no action is being taken against the erring players. It will discourage a whole lot of aspiring youngsters.” The overage disease had hit the nationals in the 2006 edition as well. This year, the Squash Rackets Association of Maharashtra (SRAM) furnished documents pointing to particular players. The representatives of the SRAM had requested the Squash Rackets Federation of India to ensure that the birth certificates and not the passport copies of certain players be furnished before the start of the competition. That was not done. At least over 100 players decided to play under protest. Joshna appreciates
work ethic of Willstrop It
was wonderful talking to India ’s squash
queen,Joshna Chinappa, when she was on one of her rare visits to Mumbai
to play in the 32nd Bombay Gymkhana Maharashtra State Open Squash
Championship co- sponsored by HSBC and Sapat at the Bombay Gymkhana. She
said the event was a training ground for her as she aspires to break
into the top 25 in the world rankings in 2007. Joshna, ranked No 42 in the
world was richer by Rs 30,000. Joshna, promoted by Mittal Champions Trust, is training with coach Malcolm Wilstrop in England . She said she could dispose off the challenge of Mandy Kennedy in the women’s final because of the repeated use of the nick shot. `The nick shot is a dead winner if you get it right. I am good at playing it.’’ Joshna
said the strict training regimen and diet plan has helped her advance. She
said the competitive training ground in England,
practicing against the most competitive squash players prepares her for
the toughest championships. About
her show on the Wispa circuit she says she has made the semi-finals of the
US Open. ``I keep meeting the top seeds regularly in the early rounds
because of my low ranking. That prevents me from playing in the bigger
rounds. About
her coach she says: “It’s not like others who give advice after a game
and which is not very useful. He is there watching you training and will
give advice right there in the middle of the practice session. That
advice registers better. He has a sharp eye and can pick faults
easily.’’ Joshna
says the cream of the world talent is practicing out there in the
U.K. with her and she hopes to make use of this factor. Asked if she would be happier with a traveling coach, Joshna says: “It will be hard to have two coaches, it could be better. But I am happy with my contemporaries who help out with technical inputs from time to time. It’s a friendly circuit out there, though not on the court.’” Joshna
will be graduating in English literature and is going for squash full
time. She said that one should continue studying and have a good
educational background before taking squash full time. Thirty-nine-year
old Mandy Kennedy who Joshna beat, said: “There is no room for
error while playing with Joshna as she is really good. She makes you play
at your best.’’ One
is sure Joshna’s rivals on the Wispa circuit will be saying the same
sooner than later as she aims for the top ten. ‘I
am a squash player too’
This
year has been really busy for you. Lots of shoots and more...
Ghosal, Bhattacharya in British Open qualifying finals London, Sep 19 (PTI) Saurav Ghosal and Ritwik
Bhattacharya are just one step away from entering the main draw of British
Open Squash Championships after they advanced
"I was out for three-four months, I just enjoy playing my squash now. This is my third tournament back and I am not putting any pressure on myself," he said. Meanwhile, in the women's qualifying draw, national champion Joshna Chinappa will take on local Fiona Moverley in the opening round later today
A
different ball game
Ezra plans $25,000 squash event in city
Ezra will work together with the Mumbai-based World Squash Academy, which has over 100 kids.”We have improved a lot, but still have a long way from reaching the top. At the moment squash is a recreation sport only, a club sport, and we need to make it into a business where the players need to focus only on the sport. Egypt is doing it with excellent government support,’’ he mused. Pakistan's
Jahangir Khan for Inclusion of Squash in Olympics ISLAMABAD: Former squash
star Jahangir Khan, who now heads the world governing body of this sport,
has made out a strong case for inclusion of squash in the Olympic Games. source : http://www.pakistantimes.net/2007/08/08/sports3.htm // http://www.squashsite.co.uk/shorts.htm World
Junior Women's Squash Championships, Hong Kong
Results : 3rd
Round: 2nd
Round: For more details click here: http://www.worldsquash.org/wjw2007.html
Overtaking Ritwik wasn’t a goal: Ghoshal New Delhi: What could be more delightful for an interviewer than be able to get an answer without pressing for it. A longdistance conversation with Sourav Ghoshal, the recently crowned National squash champion, turned out to be one such rewarding experience. “In my eyes overtaking Ritwik was not a goal and will never be. In fact, right now if he was World No.7 and I was No. 8, I would have been happier,” said the World No. 42 of the World No. 60. “People need to realise that an Indian overtaking another Indian in world rankings is not of significance. They have to stop comparing our world rankings. They should see whether we (Ritwik and I) are doing well individually... that can help the development of squash in the country. “They should give him credit for what he has done and give me credit for my contribution. “When I entered the professional circuit three years ago I never looked at his (Ritwik) ranking. I had my goal and if in that process I overtook him then it’s good. I have never wished somebody else’s downfall so that I go ahead in my career, that’s why I wouldn’t advice the younger players who have just come into the circuit to have me as their goal. It will be a petty goal. They should have a particular number as their goal like top 10 or top 20 and if in that process they overtake me it will still be fine with me,” said the 20-year-old, who defended his National title last week. “The way I won this Nationals was the most satisfying of all the three that I have won. I played consistent squash throughout. And also for the first time I was able to defend the title after winning it in 2004 and losing it in 2005. It’s almost been two years since Ghosal moved out of the country into the heart of England’s third largest provincial city, Leeds. And if he is to be believed the lad is leading an idyllic life. “I love Leeds. I stay out of the campus. I drive down to the University where I’m doing my economics management. I practice for hours together with the likes of Lee Beachill, Anthony Ricketts, Ong Beng Hee (all top 20 players) with Malcolm Willstrop - one of the best coaches in the world - overlooking our practice. It’s almost two years since I have shifted to Leeds and if not for Willstrop’s innovative methods of training I would have got bored and probably dropped out,” Ghoshal said. Rejuvenated
Ritwik ready for return
“There will be a couple of world ranking tournaments around then. One will be held in England, I’ll probably play the one Chennai,” added Ritwik who is keen to move up the rankings table soon. “Having missed out on a few tournaments during my rehabilitation period, my rehabilitation period, my ranking has dropped to No.60. Now that I’m fully fit, I’m sure of getting back into the top 30s to begin with,” said Ritwik who enjoyed a career-high ranking of No37 as recently as last November. JOSHNA
BOWS OUT OF SAN DIEGO CLASSIC New Delhi: Fifth seed Joshna Chinappa lost to fourth seed Mauela Manetta of Italy in the quarterfinals to crash out of the Betteridge and Breitliong San Diego Classic squash tournament. The Indian went down 3-9, 9-6, 9-3, 3-9, 4-9 to Manetta, who will now take on second seed Raneem El Weleily of Egypt in the semifinals of the $11,000 event. Joshna had earlier beaten Mexican Imelda Salazar Martinez 9-6, 9-1, 9-3 in the first round. This is Joshna’s second successive loss in the quarterfinals of a tournament. She had lost in the last eight stage of LA Open in Los Angeles last week. Joshna crashes out in quarters
Final: Semi-finals: [1] Saurav Ghosal (IND) bt [5] Mohamed El Shorbagy (EGY) 11-9, 11-10 (2-0), 11-10 (2-0) (31m) [3] Dick Lau (HKG) bt [2] Wai Hang Wong (HKG) 7-11, 11-4, 11-9, 9-11, 11-6 (45m)
Quarter-finals: [1] Saurav Ghosal (IND) bt [8] Naresh Kumar (IND) 11-5, 5-11, 11-4, 11-6 (35m) [5] Mohamed El Shorbagy (EGY) bt [4] Neil Hitchens (ENG) 9-11, 11-5, 11-9, 10-11 (1-3), 11-4 (52m) [3] Dick Lau (HKG) bt Parth Sharma (IND) 5-11, 11-5, 11-4, 11-10 (2-0) (38m) [2] Wai Hang Wong (HKG) bt [7] Gaurav Nandrajog (IND) 5-11, 11-9, 11-5, 11-7 (33m) DIPIKA’S
DATE WITH HILLARY CLINTON THE INDIAN SQUASH
CHAMPION WILL MEET THE ASPIRING US PRESIDENT AT ON NRI DINNER IN LA “EXPOSED Too much, too Soon”, That’s what her mom says about her. Having played just four WISPA tournaments, Indian squash champion Dipika Pallikal already has a ranking of number 80 and aims to break into the top 60 by next year. What’s more is that she is already gearing up for her upcoming tournament in LA, where she will also be meeting Hillary Cliton as an Indian spokesperson at dinner organized by NRI Ashish Law. “it’s truly an honour to be the only one from India to be a part of it, “says Dipika.
While the child protégé may
well be a multi-tasker, managing her upcoming tournaments, her academics,
all the while maintaining her world ranking, she accepts there’s a lot
that’s gone into it. “I
have sacrificed almost everything, right from small minute things to being
away from family and friends. I
am just getting used to the mammoth expectations that come along with every
match I win,” says Dipika. Though she may be
bombarded with advertisements and film offers, she feels it’s definitely
not her cup of tea. “Though I like acting, I don’ think I can do a good job
of it,” says Dipika who turned down offers to work in films down South to
pursue her love for squash. Ask her how important
ranking is and she says, “Ranking is everything.
Your strategy towards every match you play is decided on the basis of
what ranking it will take you to.” Finally, if she does decide to get into acting, who would choose as co-star? “I feel Abhishek Bachchan is really hot,” gushes our champion. SQUASH
HITS A NEW HIGH
What is remarkable about
this camp is the fact that the parents of the players as well as Founder
Director ISP, Mahendra Agarwal pooled in their resources to promote the
game. Farrag, who retired from
competitive squash five years ago, saw his world ranking hits 30 at a time
when perhaps the best group of players was playing with the sport. Having
played with the likes of Jansher Khan, Peter Nocol and Rodney Eyles, Farrag
has seen it all. A total of 12 children
trained at the Club Millennium in Juhu under the guidance of the former
prostars on his first trip to India. With the focus of the camp being to
groom talent that would take Indian Squash to a higher level, Farrag set his
sights on analyzing the strokes of the players as well as working on their
fitness. With two sessions per day, the camp constituted some intensive sessions on various aspects of the game. “There are a few promising players in the group but they will have have to put in a lot of hard work if they are to get to the top. The players lacked some flexibility on court and were doing a few things wrong. We had a couple of kick-boxers who hel | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
