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DIPIKA
PALLIKAL DESPERATE TO BE SQUASH'S PINUP GIRL?
Article in Savvy Magazine, May
2008
SQUASH
PRINCESS
“FROM the time I have
known Dipeka Pallikal, first as a bubbly little girl and now as a highly
focused teenager, I’ve seen in her the makings of a truly professional
sportswoman. She has the ability, poise, confidence and glamour to excel
on the international stage and convert her prowess at squash into a major
sports marketing asset. I have no doubt that she will make it, and I wish
her well.”
-Raj Rajamahendran,
Chairman/MD, The Capital Maharaja Organisation Ltd, Sri Lanka, is a one of
Dipika’s sponsors
“I HAVE known Dipika
for the last couple of years now and in my opinion, she is not only an
extremely talented squash player but also a great kid! She Handles herself
very well on and off the squash court, and that is evident as she has more
friends on Facebook than any other person I know. We as a trust have big
dreams for Dipika and feel that she is on the right track to achieve more
laurels.She has immense talent and is now focusing on establishing herself
on the WISPA (Women’s International Squash Professionals Association)
circuit. She started the year by creating history, and we feel this is
just a stepping stone towards even greater achievements in the future”-Manisha
Malhotra is CEO, Mittal Champions Trust
“I HAVE known Dipika
for over three years now. It is impressive to see how she has taken her
game to the next level consistently and constantly. Winning at the highest
level, and yet not getting complacent – that’s Dipika! A fighter
through and through, she has everything it takes to be a champio.” –
Mahesh Bhupathi (Globosports) manages Dipika’s career.
I
BELIEVE
They
call me the glam doll of squash in India. I’ll say, I’m 16, fun
loving, and yes, it feels great to be World No 1 (in ‘Under 17’) in
squash. The biggest names in
the game have predicted HUGE success for me. Givena good day, I can beat
the best of best. Unfortunately, plotics, an intergral part of Indian
Sports, has affected my career. But I have confidence in myself and have
proved myself time and again…
I
was born in Chennai, we are Malayali Christians. My
dad Sanjeev Pallikal runs his own business ‘Reach Management
Consultancy’, which has 10 branches across the world and my mum Susan
Pallikal, was a cricketer in her hey days. She now runs a travel agency
called ‘Travel Masters India.’
We
are three siblings; and II am the youngest. My
eledest sistteeer Divya works for the company KPMG and is also studing for
her CA. My second sister Dia is doing her masters in graphic desiging in
Leeds, UK. And my mom always teases us by referring to the three of us as
‘D d d’, which according to her stands for donkeys. But on a serious
note, all our names- Divya, Diya and Deipika – mean ‘light’.
I
basically come from a sports background.
My grandma was a state level athlete. She represented Kerala in javelin
and was also a state level sprinter. My grandpa was a very talented state
level basketball player. He represented three states in basketball –
Andhra Pradesh, Kerala and Tamil Nadu. Now you know where my talent comes
from. Well, this is not all. My paternal grandfather, who was a colonel in
the army, was a great athlete excelling in long jump and triple jump.
And
my mom, popularly known as Susan Lttycheria during her cricketing days,
played for India. She was one of the best all rounfers the country had.
She excelled in bowling,middle order batting and fielding. She was called
the ‘Rock of Gibralter’ by her colleagues Behroze and Diana Edulji.
She was also chosen as the captain of the Indian team for the World Cup
played in India. Though a male domionated sport, she and her teammates
Shantha Rangaswamy, Shubhangi Kulkarni, Sudha Shah, Fowsieh Khaleeli
and Diana and Behroze Edulji enjoyed the game, and they played as well as
the guys their age. The sport was tough, but they were tougher.
At
the age of 19, mom along with 12 other cricketers, formed what was called
‘India Club’, which was like a players association. They
would approach sponsors for money, travel to places like Amsterdam, West
Indies and the UK, organize matches in each of these places on their own
and play. They would tour and play friendly matches in all these
places. Mom, without a doubt, is a major source of inspiration to me.
My
school in Chennai Later, I shifted to the
Good Shepherd School, and studied there till the ninth standard . I
then moved to lady Andal School because they had a proper sports
curriculum there. School days were a lot of fun, especially at the Good
Shephered School. I had a bunch of friends who were absolute nerds and
since I was not too keen on studies, I would feel quite out of place in
this group. Nevertheless, we had great times together.
I
discovered squash at the age of 10. Before that, I played tennis a lot.
But one day, Praneeta, my neighbou, asked me if I would be interested in
going for a summer camp where they were having squash classes. That’s
how I started playing squash.Praneeta and I were really close till I was
12 and then Praneeta left for Singapore. It was very hard on me,
especially since we used to spend a lot of time together-cycling and
playing. Even today,Praneeta is my closest friend and her name comes first
in my Facebook group.
Once
I got the taste of squash, there was no looking back! I
loved playing the game. I had so much to look forward to-smart new
clothes, good shoes, my hair tied differently (I had long hair as i was
learing classical dance too then, which I later gave up), and most of all
beating the boys in the 9-point practice game. So I never missed even a
single practice session.
And
I think the glamour of it all and the handsome boys just motivated me to
play on! Initially, I never
used to like boys but when I started playing squash and got my first cell
phone, I started hanging out with boys too. Now if you ask me about
boyfriends/crushes, well, let me tell you that there’s nothing very
serious, I’m just living a normal teenager’s life!
Back
to my squash, I first started training with coach Hari Om Tripati.
He is the one who taught me how to hold a racket right. The first
tournament I participated in was the Indian Junior Nationals in 2002,
which is the biggest tournament in India, and I won that! I became the
national champion at the age of 11, and from then on, I knew squash was my
game. I was not even seeded. I was a new face on the circuit. But if you
win the Nationals, you automatically become No1 in the country. That was a
proud moment for me.
Squash
champ Joshna Chinnapa was a very good friend of my sister’s.
Through my sister, Joshna and I became good friends. I then became a
member of the India Cements Squash Academy (run by the Squash Rackets
Federation of India) to train professionally. It was tough training at the
Academy. A great deal had to be sacrificed –no sweets, no chocolates, no
getting up late, but let me tell you a little secret, I had my way most of
the time. Being the youngest in the family, my parents did pampered me a
lot-I don’t remember what I haven’t got in life.
Anyway,
I went on to win a lot of national and international titles after that.
Over the last five years, I’ve won the German Junior Squash Open
followed by the Belgium, Scottish, Australian Open, Dutch Junior Open,
Asia Junior Individual Chaimpionship Singapur, Pioneer Open at Cologne,
Noric Junior Open at Sweden among many other national titles between 2003
and 2007. Squash became, and is, the center point of my existence.
But
I did go through my share of trials and travails in my sporting career. At
the India Cements Squash Academy, I became very close to the people in the
academy like Cyrus Poncha, the national coach, and Major Mannaiam, the
Asian Federation’s Technical Director. But suddenly, I got news that I
was not picked for the team for the Asian Games in Doha. Earlier they had
sent me a letter stating that if reached the top two in the country, Ti
would bes
Automatically picked,
two weeks before getting the letter, I had played against Joshna Chinappa
and was declared the runners up. But supposedly, being a government
organization, they had picked the team one month before an I wasn’t
elected!
If
you want to play squash in India, you have to be with the Academy, but
since they treated me badly, I didn’t want to be with them.
But I didn’t really have a choice as I was under a contract till January
last year. So I went off to Egypt without telling the Academy. Egypt in
known for the best squash players in the world. My mother approached coach
Amir Wagi who is an Egyptian and who was the coach of the Kuwaiti national
team. I met him at an Asian event. The first time he saw me, he said,
‘this girl has talent and if she trains well, she will do well’.
At
that time, I was also pretty frazzled with the national tournament.
It was really weird because the first year I won, and the next few years,
I lost. It was so jinxed, every time I was 2-0 up, I knew I would screw
up. I knew something would go wrong. The refereeing was rigged – I used
to play with this other Chennai girl (I am not naming her), and the
Academy was always on her side. That’s how the sports arena is, full of
politics.
Once
I shifted to Egypt, I gained more confidence because I knew I was so much
better than that Chennai girl. In
the beginning, I was nervous that they would rig the match. But myt coach
would tell me to stop worrying about these things and concentrate on the
game. And, that is what I believe in now! Know I have so much talent and I
should not be worried about other things.
Even
though I was in Fgypt, my studies were not really affected. At
lady Andal, all the notes were available on the internat, which made it
very easy for me and the principal was also very supportive. I don’t go
to school half the time but I come back for the exams
I
have been training in Egypt for the past two years. Before the British
Open (Janusry 2008), I trained really hard for about one month and injured
my back too.
I had never trained so hard for a tournament before and the British Open
is as big as Wimbledon. The injury happened when I was playing with a boy
and he, by mistake, whacked me on my back with his racket. After that I
couldn’t walk for two days. My mom said, ‘The British open is a big
thing for you but you have many years ahead of you and you don’t have to
push yourself’.
Despite
my injury, I played the British Open because I had sent my entry, and it
was my last year to play for ‘Under 17’.
My first really tough match was the quarterfinals where I played Laura
Gemella from Canada who was No. 1 there. I qualified for the finals for
the first time in five years. Squash players Saurav Ghosal, who was there
too, gave me tips which helped a lot. The girl played in the finals, Heba
from Egypt, was the one who had won the British Open successively for five
years.
On
the day of the finals, my mom told me, just go and play your best.
I went on the court, won the first game, lost the second, won the third
and lost the fourth. It was a close match but I made it up by winning the
next few points. And finally. I won the game! I was so delighted that I
threw my racket in the air with joy. The British open is one of the
biggest tournament and only Saurav and Joshna had won it before. And I had
actually won it! I was overjoyed! I could see Saurav and my sister jumping
in the audience. I had never thrown my racket like that, not my style.
Even if it falls down ny mistake, I take it and kis it, but this was a
different high altogether!
Usually,
people party after winning the British Open but I slept unusually early
that night. The
next morning, congratulatory calls poured in from all over. But I didn’t
hear from the federation, which really hurt. The Federation also dropped
me from the Asian Seniors this years, which was in February in Kuwait. I
was doing my physiotherapy during the trails. So I sent them a letter
saying. ‘I won’t be able to come for the trails because of this but if
you want me to come, I will’ when the selected list was out, my name was
not in it, and that’s how I found out that I was not in the team even
after winning the British Open!
My
father said he would file a case.
I told him there was no use filing a case. Joshna had filed eight cases
against the Federatiom, and it did not get her anywhere. But still my dad
went ahead and filed case. He is not fighting just for me but a lot of
other people who suffer because of the Federation. His two contentions
are: there should be proper selections and there should be a proper
ranking system in India.
I
have currently shifted base to Kuwait and signed a contract with the
Qadsia Club, which is the best club in Kuwait.
I also got and offer to sign a contract with the Qatar Squash Federation
saying that they will give mea passport and a million dollars to play for
their country. But since I’m and Indian first and I only want to
represent my country, I declined the offer.
I am happy the
Federation has chosen me for an Asian event this year.
I’m also preparing for the British Open Seniors, and the WISPS
(Women’s International Squash Professional Association) tournaments in
Malaysia and Vietnam.
But
after winning the British Open, everything has changed.
The Mittal Champions Trust now funds my training and
travels, and Mahesh Bhupathi’s Globosport manages my career.
It feels great to be World No.1 in the ‘Under 17’ age group.
But it’s tough too.
I stay out of the country for almost eight months in a year.
I miss my family, but most of the times, my mother travels with me.
And when I’m goint to a country where I can shop a lot, I coax my
father into coming along so I can bully him more than my mom.
As
for life beyond squash, I finished my boards this October and am in the 11th
now, so I am taking it a bit easy now.
Otherwise, I am lime any other normal teenager.
I love dressing, and make it a point to look my best always.
My nails are a very important part of me, I love dressing them up.
Shopping for the latest trends in clothes – ‘Mango’,
‘Guess’, ‘Forever 21’ – when I travel is an obsession.
My weakness though is spending too much.
Well I am not into partying for the moment, but I will, my squash
permitting, be a party animal soon.
I
have also been approached by the Tamil film industry and even sat through
a story session with actor Madhavan over coffee.
But my father did not agree because he feels I have a bigger
responsibility of winning more titles and laurels for the country.
Which is fine by me – squash is my priority love and life!
My
main ambition in life is to have successful squash career and a relaxed
modeling career, and excel in both! Yes, I have a thing for
modeling. Both may seem tough
but I have the faith and ‘Faith and Impossible’ don’t go together.
I have a tough mind and a strong will.
I believe in never giving up.
It’s a tough world out there, but you can overcome it…
Life is short, Play it
till you win !
Click
below for the enlarged view of the scanned articles
Squash Observer Sacked
for Speaking Truth
Article in Hindustan Times, Chandigarh, May 3,
2008
SHOCKING As it may seem
that while the new Sports Minister, M.S. Gill has taken a serious view of
the observations made by the government observer (GO) on women’s hockey
regarding the poor fitness of players during the Olympic qualifier’s in
Kazan (Rusia), another GO in another sports discipline has been shown the
door for calling a spade
Six times national
champion and the government nominee for squash- a priority sports now-
Brig Raj Manchanda has been told his services are no longer required. A
terse two lineletter written by deputy
secretary, Government of India. Deepika Kachhal, says; “I am directed to
inform you that Brig Raj Manchanda will no longer be the government
observer in the discipline of squash.”
Even more shocking is
the fact that this is the same GO, who was given a pat on the back by the
Ministery just a forthnight back. In his letter to the controversy ridden
Squash Racquet Federation of India (SRFI), the Ministry director Joe
Sabstian had said on April 4. “I would like to bring to your notice that
Brig Raj Manchanda has been repeatedly reporting that SRFI is not
selection trials and events.
The government observer
is the representative of this ministry and the national sports federation
(NSFs) are obliged to inform the GO aboutselection Committee meetings and
important national and international events, “Sebastian said in his letter
addressed to SRFI secretary general N. Ramchandran.
In fact, the Ministry
has quoted extensively from Manchanda’s scathing report on SRFI in its
submissions to the delhi High Court recently in the squash players Deepika
Pallikal vs Union of India& others case.
Manchanda has pointed
out in his report that for opportunity was not being given to deserving
players. He has highlighted scores of anomalies over the years in
selection procedures for major international events like Asian and World
championships.
He also raised a big
question mark over the 2006 Doha Asian Games bronze medal won by Saurav
Ghosal.
HT had carried a report
titled “Doha Asian Games bronze medal fixed?” on February 14 this year
highlighting the fact that the Games draw could have been manipulated to
ensure India a medal, Only a couple of mo9nths back, Insi’s World no.1
ranked player in the U-19 category and British Open champion Deepika
Pallikal was ignoredfor the Asian in Kuwait.
Manchanda had written
in his report, “The main aim of SRFI appears to be to promote the Indian
Cement Ltd Academy players with a condition that they obey at their
diklats, right or wrong, ethical or notat the expense of players from the
rest of India.
Apparently those
players having a mind of their own and having different views, also
quickly get into the ‘outsider’ category. India No.1 Joshna Chinappa and
Deepika Pallikal are the blatant examples of this discrimination.
There are quite a
few other examples of discrimination and suppression, of losser players.
That does not make those any less poignant
since talent was nipped in the bud
Now the Gossacking has
come just five days before the trials for the Asian Junior championship
(in Korea-June) and world junior championships (Switzerland July),
Government guidelines say it is mandatory for the GO to be present at the
trails.
Interestingly, what
would be the ministry’s take on the submissions made to the High Court in
the above mentioned case in the aftermath
of the sacking of Manchanda. Will they withdraw the
submissions?
While M.S. Gill did not
take calls despite repeated attempts, the misistry’s join secretary in
Jeti Srinivas phone was switched off. Secretary (Sports) S.K. Arora
declined to comment on the issue “No comments,” he said.
Scanned Articles :
Article in Hindustan Times,
Chandigarh, May 3, 2008
Article in Hindustan Times, Delhi,
May 3, 2008
Article in Hindustan Times,
Calcutta, May 3, 2008
Kuwait
Open Squash Championship, Kuwait City, Kuwait
Thursday,
24 April 2008.
Qualifying
Finals:
Julian
Illingworth (USA) bt Ritwik Bhattacharya (IND) 11-7, 11-4, 11-9
Daryl
Selby (ENG) bt Saurav Ghosal (IND) 11-8, 5-11, 11-5, 11-6
Daryl
Selby
and Alister Walker boosted the English content of the draw by two
following four-game qualifying final wins over India's Saurav Ghosal
and Jan Koukal, from the Czech Republic, respectively.
"I'm
ecstatic to qualify for such a big event again," said 25-year-old
Selby after his 11-8, 5-11, 11-5, 11-6 victory. "There's always
pressure on the top eight seeds in qualifiers, and it's such a big
difference in points and money if you get through. I've just got a
new flat with my girlfriend, so she can have a trip to IKEA now!"
Julian
Illingworth,
the three times US champion from New York, made it through to the biggest
tournament of his career when he beat former Indian champion Ritwik
Bhattacharya 11-7, 11-4, 11-9.
"I
don't have a game plan really - if I'm hitting it well, I go for it, if
not, I'm not going to force it, whatever the body/racquet tells you on the
day," explained the 24-year-old world No39. "But today, I
was shooting more than I would normally do, because at the back, he is
pretty strong."
1st
qualifying round:
Ritwik
Bhattacharya (IND) bt Aaron Frankcomb (AUS) 11-4, 11-9, 11-6
Saurav
Ghosal (IND) bt Mohammed Abdulrahman Al Tawari (KUW) 11-5, 11-0,
11-3
The
only upset came as Ritwik Bhattacharya, the former Indian champion
returning to the venue where he played the Asian Championships in
February, overcame Australian Aaron Frankcomb - ranked 15 places
higher in the world - in three well-contested games, triumphing 11-4,
11-9, 11-6 in 53 minutes.
Source:
http://www.worldsquash.org.uk/kuwait08.html
TWO
COOL RACQUETEERS
Article
in Times of India : 15th April 2008
They
are rivals; they are friends. They are young and beautiful and are already
the queens in Indian squash. They are from Chennai but are already on
their way to becoming the country’s next sporting icons. Meet Joshna
Chinappa and Dipika Pallikal as they talk about life, sport and everything
they love in this all-girl talk for The Times of India.

On
life in Chennai
Joshna:
I
got my graduation certificate just three days ago and everyone’s been
asking me only thing: which college is crazy enough to give me a degree
(laughs aloud). I simply tell them: ‘now I'm beauty and brains put
together' (smiles). Since I'm hardly home, I call friends over. I love
spending time with my family, especially with my younger brother (Gaurav).
Dipika:
I'm in
Chennai till the 19th of this month and all that I plan to do is chill out
with friends. Maybe, do a few modelling assignments.
On family:
Joshna: My
parents struggled a lot initially to find sponsors. Whatever resources
they had were all spent towards my squash dreams. My brother was a
compromised child that way. But now, he's the priority. And, he orders me
around and gets whatever he wants when I'm traveling abroad. (smiles).
He's the big bully. He's got a very sharp tongue. He's the only one who
can put me in my place. Unlike my dad, my mom doesn't follow squash. And
just then, Mrs Chinnappa walks into the tastefully done living room and
interrupts the conversation: ‘You are playing some Liverpool tournament
next, right Josh?' That's enough to invite a roar of laughter from
everybody in the room. 'I'll tell Nicole (World No. 1 Nicole David of
Malaysia) that my mom called the British Open -- which is like tennis’
Wimbledon – a Liverpool tournament! How could you say something like
that mom?' (giggles all around).
Dipika:
Being the
youngest of three sisters, I'm the pampered kid in the family. We get
along like a house on fire. Divya (the eldest one) and Dia are both into
their books while I'm the sporty one.
On education:
Joshna: My
mother always saw to it that my education never suffered. ‘What if you
get injured and cannot play? You will need education to support
yourself,’ was something she always told me. But I've always lived on
the edge as far as education is concerned. I've never been the kind who'd
prepare for weeks before exams. I always studied eight hours before the
paper because I loved the thrill of finishing X lessons in Y amount of
time. Also, I studied only 60% of the lessons and whatever I studied would
invariably come in the exams. People may think I'm arrogant but that's how
I am. Getting A+ is not my priority. Squash is. Even though I'm an English
Literature graduate from Ethiraj College, I don't claim that my English is
super (winks).
Dipika:
Since Josh
and Sourav (Ghoshal) studied in the same school (Lady Andal), they were
aware of our training schedules. They've been very supportive all
throughout. I have my XII board exams coming up in October.
On the WISPA tour:
Joshna: Oh,
I think I was born to play this game. (Adds after a pause)... the girls
are friendly and I get along with most of them. Nicole and I get along
really well because we travel for the Asian events together. However,
there are a few girls who don't play the game in the true spirit. They
block you, abuse you on the court but I never give it back to them. I
simply approach the referee. I can be really mean, trust me (stares you in
the eye) but I don't wanna be. There have been times when I've had bruises
on my body after a match and then the same opponent has tried to be
friendly off-court. I don't relate to that because I think a lot of what
you are reflects on the court. You can't be so vastly different on and off
it. So, that way I'm a little selective about who I hang out with on the
circuit. And, I never party when I'm abroad, even if my friends do.
Dipika:
There have
been instances when players have blocked me during a match but I haven't
encountered sledging on court so far.
On training:
Joshna: Oh,
I've become more disciplined after moving into my grandparent's house
(giggles). It's closer to the ICL academy where I train, so it's
convenient. At home, my parents don't tell me anything, I do whatever I
want. But at my grandparent's place, I have my meals on time and am
punctual for my practice too. I visit my parents during weekends and spoil
myself crazy. No training on weekends (giggles aloud). It's all about
hanging out with friends and indulging in all kinds of food, including
chocolates. I'm a chocaholic. I can't have one bar at a time so it's like
either 6-7 at a time or none. I also train in London under coach Malcolm
Wilstrop.
Dipika:
I’m based
in Kuwait now and training with former pro Amir Wagih. He's like a father
figure to me there. There have been a lot of controversies around me in
recent times and he's stood by me through thick and thin.
On themselves:
Joshna: I
like to think I'm good at whatever I do (giggles). Even though I took up
squash, I was pretty good at tennis and badminton too. After a tennis
match with a friend, I’m like ‘don't you think I'm too good’ (adds
giggling) and he has no choice but to say ‘yes Josh’ (laughs even
more). I’m very vivacious and chirpy, unlike my girlie gang.
Dipika:
I
just love shopping (giggles). Now that I have my own credit card, I think
I’ve become worse. (Joshna interrupts, saying) ...she would marry any
guy who would take care of her credit card bills and mobile expenses...
(laughs aloud, before asking Dipika) ‘so, how much was the mobile bill
this time, babe?’ ‘Don't' even ask’ is all Dipika says before
bursting into peels of laughter.
On
being religious:
Joshna: I'm
not religious.
Dipika:
I'm
very religious. I pray before every match. And, I pray at the church,
temple and mosque. I wear a cross on my neck, this thread (pointing to the
thick red band on her right hand) is from the dargah and I keep packets of
vibhuti which I picked up from a temple.
On having each other for company on the Tour:
Joshna:
We
don't normally play the same tournaments and I'm much senior to her, so
I'm used to being on my own. But, whenever we are together we have a lot
of fun... (Dipika butts in ) ‘shopping. Remember, Josh how we shopped
like crazy in Malaysia last time’ (both laugh aloud).
On being fashion conscious:
Joshna: I’m
into high-end designer wear. I swear by Abercrombie (pointing to her tee),
Topshop, Tommy Hilfiger, Diesel, Mango. I shopped like crazy when I was in
States last year. LA, NY have a great range of clothes. I like to wear all
colours from orange to pink. I do wear Indian clothes on special occasions
like festivals and weddings, but I’m home in my denims. I think I’m
gonna get married in jeans because the only time I wore a sari, I ended up
looking like Chameli (laughs out loud, adding) as it was red and blue. I'm
not too much of a jewellery person though.
Dipika:
I'm
very conscious of what I wear on court. I love (Maria) Sharapova and Ana (Ivanovic).
For me, it's important that I look good on court because I don't feel
comfortable otherwise. I swear by Forever 21. I love to shop in America
and Australia. People say Paris has great stuff but I didn't quite like
anything there. Maybe, I went to the wrong places.
You
can see I love jewellery (pointing to the four studs on the top of her ear
and the beautiful green jadau danglers which she picked from Ajmer).
‘Hey you forgot about the anklet,’ adds Joshna teasingly. I love
wearing Indian clothes. I wear them for the monthly prayer services we
have at home.
On the craziest thing they've done:
Joshna:
I
got my belly pierced after I lost a match. I wanted to feel some pain and
so got it done. Once I got my eyebrow pierced too. I also got the Smoking
Devil tattoo on my back.
Dipika:
At
the moment everything around me is pink. I've painted my room pink. I'm
picking up only pink outfits these days. And, I recently bought this
really expensive camera just because it was pink.
On
Movies
Joshna: I
can watch anything from English, Hindi, Tamil and Telugu. The last two
with sub-titles though. Actually, I watch English flicks with sub-titles
too (giggles).
Dipika:
I
like Grey's Anatomy, One Tree Hill, Heroes. I watched OC but it got very
boring in the fourth season.
Dipika:
My
best friend is part of a band called Substance. They are into rock music
and although they are all my age, they seem to be doing pretty well. I
like their work.
On modeling/ acting offers
Joshna:
I did a
couple of shoots for my sponsors but otherwise movies and modelling is a
strict no no.
Dipika:
I
got an offer to act in a Malayalam film but I turned it down. I also got
an offer to star opposite Madhavan. I really wanted to do the film, but my
dad refused. But if I get a chance to work with Aamir Khan or Hrithik
Roshan I'd love to do it (giggles).
Joshna
loses in final
Article in The Times of India, March
27, 2008.
KUALA LUMPUR, March 26: Joshna
Chinappa's agonising wait for her maiden WISPA title continued as the Indian
number one went down in straight games to top seed Jaclyn Hawkes of New
Zealand in the final of the NSC Star Series squash tournament here on
Wednesday.
The reigning national champion lost 1-9 2-9 8-10 in a 30-minute clash to
lose her second successive final.
Sixth seeded Joshna, who was blown away in the opening two games, tried to
claw her way back in the third game but Hawkes weathered the late fightback
by the Indian.
The loss was yet another heartbreak for Joshna, who had lost in the finals
of Vietnam Open a fortnight ago.
For Hawkes, the win here has given the Kiwi her second WISPA title in three
years.
Source: http://sports.indiatimes.com/Joshna_loses_yet_another_final/articleshow/2902220.cms
No
'priority', SRFI sticks to old ways
Article in Hindustan Times
By Ajai Masand, New Delhi, March 24, 2008
THE SQUASH Racquet Federation of India (SRFI)
is yet to wake up to the fact that squash has become a 'priority' sport
in the country. In yet another example of their arbitrary style of
functioning, all norms of trials and selection were thrown to the wind
to accommodate certain players so that they could participate in the
Qatar Junior Open from March 14 to 18.
All four players in
the U-15 team — Sajid Hussain, Roshan Kanna, Deepak Mishra and Kush
Kumar — participated in the tournament despite the fact that there are
more than a dozen better players in the country. National coach Cyrus
Poncha, when contacted said, it was an invitational tournament and
individual players foot their own bill. "There was no need for
trials or selection as it was an invitational tournament. The players
who wanted to participate approached us and we simply assisted
them," said Poncha. "There wasn't any team event in the
championships," he added. But contrary to Poncha's comments, India
also participated in the team category where it finished fifth, higher
only to Qatar who finished last.
Also, the country's
top age group players didn't even have an idea about the dates of the
tournament and were not apprised by the national coach. Surprisingly,
exactly four players 'applied' and all of them were automatically
selected to represent the country. What also defies logic is the fact
that Pakistan sent its best juniors like Farhan Zaman and Nasir Iqbal
among others and they won all the four individual age-group titles in
the Under-19, U-17, U-15 and U-13 categories as also the team
championships. In fact, the Indian team lost 3-0 to Pakistan in the U-15
category with Sajid being thrashed by Pak's Nasir Iqbal 9-0, 9-0, 9-0.
The irony doesn't end
here. Sajid was India's 'top seed' for the Qatar event. But back home in
India, he was a reserve in the Delhi inter-state u-15 team in 2007 and
lost in the third round at the junior nationals in Ajmer. If the SRFI
says it didn't select the team, then who gave Sajid the top seeding?
In the individual
championships, he finished a poor 10th out of 12 competitors, while
Roshan Kanna, the national u-11 runner-up, came 7th. India can boast of
a strong field in the u-15 category, with the likes of national champion
Mahesh Mangonkar, runner-up Abhishek Pradhan, Akash Bornwankar (4th
position) and the likes and still they chose Sajid Hussain and Roshan
Kanna?
The government
guidelines say: "For proposal at 'no cost to government', the
selection procedures as laid down in the guidelines must be
followed." In this case, probably all norms seems to have been
flouted.
Source: http://www.hindustantimes.com/StoryPage/StoryPage.aspx?id=bc0690b8-2286-465a-922b-b9f49876bd8b
Gagged
and squashed
Article in Hindustan times, Mumbai, Saturday, March 15, 2008
By Ajai Masand, New Delhi, March 14
SRFI bars players,
parents from going public with their grievances
SMARTING FROM the recent
furore over the omission of British Open junior champion Dipika Pallikal for
the Asian championship, the Squash Racquet Federation of India (SRFI) has
issued a gag order on players, warning them of stringent action if they air
their grievances in the media.
In a letter to all
affiliated units, associate members, clubs and colleges, the SRFI has issued
an Indian Hockey Federation-style order; a copy of which is with Hindustan
Times, in which it says that the federation’s disciplinary committee would
take action as it deems fit against the ‘erring’ players.
The letter, signed by
SRFI Secretary General N Ramachandran, literally questions the fundamental
rights of a player / official to air his/her grievances.
It reads: “We wish to
bring to your notice that in the recent past we have had several instances
of parents / coaches / players writing letters to the Ministry of Youth
Affairs and Sports to deliberately discredit the functioning of the
federation on various issues. In
some cases, articles criticizing the functioning have been channeled through
the Government of India observer (Brigadier Raj Manchanda).”
Manchanda, reacting to
the comments, said he was aware of a letter circulated to affiliated units
and said it infringed on the fundamental right to speech.
“ If they (SRFI) are
not giving any clarification on issues of team selection, holding of camps
and other related issues, that’s just being nasty. What recourse am I left
with if they don’t want to call me during team selection and other
important meetings? I have to go directly to the Ministry,” he said.
The letter warns: “The
president/secretary-general are authorized to take disciplinary action on a
player/players/associations who indulge in any undersirable activity which
will bring discredit/ affect the functioning of the federatin…There have
been instances where parents have directly approached the electronic and
print media with false and incorrect information to deliberately discredit
the functioning of the federation. Such actions are against the rules and
regulations of federation.”
The SRFI has been in the
midst of controversy with litigation being filed against them in the Delhi
High Court questioning why Pallikal, the second- ranked squash player in the
country, and Sandeep Jhangra, were dropped from the Asian Championships
squad recently.
A bigger controversy
involves whether the 2006 Doha Asian Games bronze medal, clinched by Saurav
Ghosal, was fixed.
The latest development
comes at a time when Andrew Shelly, the Women’s International Squash
Players Association (WISPA) chief executive, was reportedly meeting
Ramachandran in Delhi.
All efforts to contact
Ramachandran were in vain, while national coach Cyrus Poncha said it would
be “Pretty of me if I replied to such queries.”
Chief consultant coach S.
Maniam disconnected his phone.
Questioned on the order,
I Srinivas, Joint Secretary of the Sports Ministry, said that fedrations
were self-regulatory bodies and framed their rules, “but if there are
serious issues with players/parents, there was no restriction on them coming
directly to the ministry ir going to the Indian Olympic Association.”
A matter of squashing the
players fundamental rights.
Source: Scanned
Article
Jagtap
claims French Junior title
Article in Times of India, Mumbai, 19th
Feb, 2008
Pradeep Vijayakar | TNN
Mumbai: Mumbai lad Aditya Jagtap added to his growing reputation in junior
international squash when winning the under-17 title in the French Junior
Tournament, a Super Series tournament in the European Circuit, which ended
on Saturday in Marseille.
According to his father
Ravi, Aditya beat Lucas Serme of France 9-10, 10-8, 9-4, 9-1 in the final.
In the semifinal Aditya beat Demont Geoffrey also from France 10-8, 9-2,
9-3.
This was his third victory in the European Circuit Super Series tournament.
He had already won Nordic Jr Open in 2006 and German Jr Open in 2007. He was
also runner-up in Nordic Junior Open and Belgian Jr Open in 2007. This
victory gives Aditya, who studies in Bombay Scottish, the No 2 ranking in
European Squash Federation lists.
Aditya’s performances
at the British Junior Open 2008 were not truly appreciated. Seeded 9/16 he
shocked No 2 seed and Pakistan U-17 National Champion Farhan Zaman before
meeting the eventual champ, Karmin Abdel Awad barely six hours later. Aditya
and Gawad from Egypt played for 83 minutes and Awad won 3-9, 9-4, 7-9, 9-2,
9-7.The win over Farhan was the the biggest win of Aditya’s career. Aditya
secured 7th position in the World’s most prestigious junior squash
tournament.
Joshna concedes semis tie
Article in Times of India, Mumbai 19th Feb
2008.
India’s Joshna Chinappa conceded her semifinal to Rebecca Chiu
9-0, 9-2 in the Asian Squash Championship in Kuwait last week. Malaysia
scored a double by winning both men’s and women’s events. No 1 seed
Nicol David beat Hong Kong’s Chiu 9-0, 9-2, 9-0 for the women’s title.
Aslan Iskander beat Ong Beng Hee 5-9, 8-10, 9-5, 9-0, 9-7 in an
all-Malaysian men’s final.
SOURCE: http://epaper.timesofindia.com/Daily/skins/TOI/navigator.asp?Daily=TOIM&login=default&AW=1203392150328
Fixing
charges take sheen out of India’s Asiad bronzedd
Article in Hindustan Times, Mumbai, February 15, 2008
It was almost as if this script was written
with India in mind. And, perhaps it was.
In December 2006, India won a rare bronze medal for squash in the last Asian
Games at Doha. But, in an equally rare circumstance and one that is
peculiar, India knew they were assured of a bronze even before the
quarterfinals began.
(With
just two players of every nationality participating in the Games, it was
strange (at the very least) how the two Indian seeded players were clubbed
in the lower half of the draw, while the two Pakistani seeds — Mansoor
Zaman and Aamir Atlas — came together in the upper half.)
How? Well, the quarterfinal draw saw
Indians Ritwick Bhattacharya and Saurav Ghosal pitted against each other in
the lower half.
One of them would naturally go through to the semifinal and
in the Asian Games, if you reach the last four, you are assured of at least
a bronze.
Two things must be noted here. First, only
two players per country are allowed. And if both reach the quarterfinal,
then there are written guidelines that are generally followed. According to
the Asian Squash Federation (ASF) rulebook for events like the Asian Games:
“It is customary to ensure that wherever possible players of the same
nationality do not meet each other in the first round and are preferably
separated into the top and bottom halves of the draw.”
With just two players of every nationality
participating in the Games, it was strange (at the very least) how the two
Indian seeded players were clubbed in the lower half of the draw, while the
two Pakistani seeds — Mansoor Zaman and Aamir Atlas — came together in
the upper half.
It also was extremely convenient (or
lucky), that with players from 15 Asian countries, ranging from Jordan to
the Philippines in a draw of 32, only Indian and Pakistani players were
clubbed in the same sides.
Now who made the Asian Games draw and
where?
On November 28, India’s national coach,
Cyrus Poncha, announced the draw in Chennai in the presence of the ASF
president and Squash Racquet Federation of India (SRFI) secretary, N
Ramachandran. India’s national consultant coach S Maniam (also Ghoshal’s
coach) set the seedings, while Fahim Gul (the Pakistani national coach) and
Tony Choi of the Malaysian federation were the other members of the draw
committee.
The Indian government appointed an observer for squash, Brigadier Raj
Manchanda - a six-time national champion himself – who looked into the
matter and his remarks in his final report to the Ministry (a copy of which
is with the Hindustan Times) make for interesting reading. “At the Asian
Games 2006, we had the distinction of getting the bronze. This would have
been indeed a very commendable achievement in the face of formidable players
from Malaysia and Pakistan. However, our players did not have to play them
till the semifinals; they played each other in the quarterfinal (second
round), which ensured a place for an Indian player in the semifinal and thus
a bronze medal. The draws were made by the SRFI-run ASF and credit goes to
them for making a draw like that…”
He continued, “… it would, however,
have been much more satisfying if the bronze had been won with our two top
players in different halves of the draw - as is done in all individual games
where there are only two participants per country - rather than clubbing
them in the same half against each other in the quarterfinal which ensured a
bronze medal.”
At the Asian Championships held in Taiwan
in February 2006, the PSA (Professional Squash Association)/WISPA (Women’s
International Squash Professional Association) rankings were used to make
the draw, which is the norm. Four Pakistanis made the quarters but did not
play each other till the semifinals. Both Bhattacharya (5) and Ghoshal (6)
lost to Pakistan’s Mansoor Zaman (4) and Shahid Zaman (3) respectively.
Thus, no Indian made the semifinals.
At the Asian Games, the PSA/WISPA ranking
wasn’t used. This only happens when the rankings of players have not been
documented or there is a discrepancy on their current form. A majority of
those who played the Asian Championships and the Asian Games were common, so
this was not the case here.
Ramachandran could not be contacted despite repeated attempts over several
days to seek clarity on the matter. But all of what we have stated here is
documented. India winning medals in multidisciplinary events is rare. So
they are extremely lucky that at least this one was ensured.
Scanned Article of Hindustan
Times
Ghosal, Joshna advance; Ritwik bows out of Asian C'ship
Article in Hindustan Times, Mumbai, Kuwait, February 14, 2008
Saurav
Ghosal and Siddharth Suchde were the only Indians left in the men's
singles event after two of their compatriots, including former national
champion Ritwik Bhattacharya, crashed out in the second round of the Asian
Squash Championships here.
Among
the women, national champion Joshna Chinappa and fellow Indian Anwesha
Reddy also moved into the second round.
Ghosal
advanced to the third round of the prestigious tournament after beating
Kuwaiti Nasser Al Rashed 9-3 9-1 9-2 in the opening round and another
local hope Ali B Al-Ramezi 9-2 9-2 9-2 in the second round yesterday.
The
reigning national champion will now take on Hong Kong's Max Lee in the
third round.
Suchde,
meanwhile, first got the better of Iranian Mahd Reza Sadeghpour 9-6 9-5
9-1 in a 44-minute contest before defeating Taipei's Huang Cheng Yao in
the second round.
However,
Ritwik and Naresh Kumar crashed out in the second round. Ritwik breezed
past Kuwaiti Shallan Ahmed 9-7 9-3 9-1 in merely 19 minutes before Kuwaiti
Mohd Y Hajeyah tamed the Indian 9-4 3-9 9-5 6-9 10-8 in a 93-minute
battle.
Naresh
suffered a similar fate. After a comfortable 9-0 9-3 9-5 win over Sri
Lankan Aruna Hewage, he was outplayed 1-9 4-9 1-9 by Hong Kong's Wong Wai
Hang.
In
the women's section, where India is without British Junior Open champion
Dipika Pallikal, who was omitted from the team for not attending a
mandatory camp, both Joshna and Anwesha moved into the second round.
Joshna
thrashed China's Wu Zhen Zhen 9-0 9-4 9-1 in just 17 minutes to set up a
clash with Pakistan's Maria Toor, while Anwesh defeated Taipei's Hsieh Ssu
Han 9-1 9-0 9-1 and will now be up against Malaysian Sharon Wee.
Harita
Om Prakash and Surabhi Misra, however, crashed out in the opening round.
While
Harita lost Japan's Chnatsu Matsui 4-9 0-9 3-9, Surbhi went down to Hong
Kong's Christina Mak 0-9 6-9 7-9.
RESULTS:
Mens’
Singles:
Rd 1: Saurav Ghosal (Ind) bt Nasser Al Rashed (Kuw) 9-3, 9-1, 9-2;
Rd 2: Saurav Ghosal (Ind) bt Ali B Al-Ramezi (Kuw) 9-2, 9-2, 9-2;
Rd 1: Siddharth Suchde (Ind) bt Mahd Reza Sadegh-Pour (Ira) 9-6, 9-5, 9-1;
Rd 1: Ritwik Bhattacharya (Ind) bt Shallan Ahmed (Kuw) 9-7, 9-3, 9-1;
Rd 2: Mohd Y Hajeyah (Kuw) bt Ritwik Bhattacharya (Ind) 9-4, 3-9, 9-5,
6-9, 10-8
Rd 1: Naresh Kumar (In) bt Aruna Hewage (Sri) 9-0, 3-9, 9-5;
Rd 2: Wong Wai Hang (Chn) bt Naresh Kumar (Ind) 9-1, 9-4, 9-1.
Suchde Scores Maiden
PSA Title In
St Louis
15th January 2008
Indian
Siddharth Suchde
secured his maiden PSA Tour title in some style in the
USA
after upsetting two higher-seeded
players to reach the final of the Regions Racquet Club Pro Squash
Series at the Racquet Club in
St Louis.
The
US-based eighth seed from
Mumbai removed
Canada's fourth seed Ian Power in the quarter-finals before
toppling top-seeded Australian Tony James in straight games in the
semi-finals.
His unseeded opponent
Cesar
Salazar
reached the final after overcoming seeds in the three earlier rounds.
But
the 20-year-old Mexican was no match for Suchde in the final as the
22-year-old former US Intercollegiate champion claimed a 11-9, 11-6, 11-4
victory, and his first PSA title success since joining the Association
almost four years ago.
Fit
Nandrajog back, is ready for the long haul
Times of India, Delhi
edition : 23rd January 2008
New Delhi: Comparing the
two Variable of the line graph of the ranking history on the net. One comes
to a conclusion that Gaurav Nandrajog must be going through one of the
finest time of his professional squash career- considering that he achieved
his higest ranking of 130 in the world recently. But that impression lasts
only till you meet him. After all, a graph doesn’t have the capacity to
spell out the emotional quotient of a sportsman.
“You would guess that I
must have improved my game between 2005 and 2007 given the fact that I’ve
moved up from207 to 130 in rankings in that period. But the reality is
I’ve been aching all through the last two years,” said the 23-year-old
Nandrajog. “ I was obsessed about my fitness, I couldn’t relax for three
hours straight. I had to do some activity or the other. Otherwise, I thought
I was lagging behind in fitness.
“Another mi8stek I made
repeatedly over the last two years was that I didn’t distinguish between
pre-season training and post-season training. After a season would end I
would end I would start straight off with eight hour of fitness training. I
learn’t it late and all by myself that when you start off on your fitness
regime after a gap, one has to build up the intensity of the program
gradually. But nobody told me about it and I didn’t listen to myown body.
Even if I was injured I would still train leading to recurring injuries.”
But despite “hurting”
in his ankle, Nandrajog chugged along and still managed to put up quite a
good show which is evedent from his ranking history (he climbed 65 places in
2007). Nandrajog is although peeved with himself for losing some close
matches. “In the last four tournaments, I lost almost all my matches in
five setters. Those matches could have gone either way.”
At the last quarter of
2007, Nandrajog took a break, sorted his mind out and started taking it easy
as far as his fitness is concerned and as a result, the India No.3 is back
at hundred per cent and is planning to move to Canada to further his career
and sharpen his skills. “ I
will train with Jonathan Power (the former world No.1) in Canada.
I need to move out of India. It’s
making me uncomfortable practicing with juniors,” stated the Delhi-based
player.
“I knock with them
everyday and it’s helping their game but I’m stuck at the same level.
There will at least be two or three guys in the top 30 of the world
being coached at the Willingdon Club (Toronto).
It would be immensely helpful to my game if I get to knock with them
everyday.”
Needless to sat that for
those four months that he is planning to stay in Canada, Nandrajog is
desperately is looking for funding.
The Canada sojourn,
Nandrajog hopes, will reduce the chasm between Sourav Ghosal (India No.1 and
world No.47), Ritwik Bhattacharya (India No.2 and world No.61) and himself.
Nandrajog has been No.1 in U-15, U-17 and U-19 in India but since
U-19, for the last five years, Saurav Ghosal has always beaten him.
“Saurav has gone ahead of me because he built himself up slowly, more
systematically. Where as I went boom and then cracked, mentally. I’m sure
2008 is going to me one of my
best years. I am not going to be impulsive, I have promised myself.”
Source: http://www1.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/articleshow/2722507.cms
Reality
check for Indian juniors
Article
in HindustanTimes (January 8, 2008) New Delhi
INDIANS
PLAYERS were brought down to earth after their 'superb' performance in the
Scottish Junior Open squash tournament in late December last year. Barring
Anwesha Reddy and eventual U-17 champion Dipika Pallikal, all exited before
the semifinal round in the British Open
which was held at Sheffied immediately after the Scottish sojourn.
The chief consultant coach, S. Maniam, had told the Hindustan Times after
the 'great' performance at the Scottish Open,
that he was hopeful of a good performance in England too. However, things
seem to have gone terribly awry. Maniam had said that the Scottish
Open would serve to acclimatise the players for the tougher British
Open. The Indians had won a whopping four age-group titles and
finished runners-up in two categories.
On January 3, HT had quoted Squash Racquet Association of Malaysia
(SRAM) president Datuk Sani Karim as saying that the Scottish
Open was a 'low-grade' tournament and that the SRAM would prefer
spending money in a better way.
At the British Open, Pallikal, who left the
SRFI-ICL academy in Chennai and is now
training under Egyptian coach Amir Wagih, was the only bright spot as she
won the U-17 title beating defending champion for the last five years, Heba
El Torky. She had skipped the Scottish Open.
Barring Reddy who exited in the quarterfinal, the rest could not go beyond
the third round (Pre-quarterfinals) (see box).
Maniam, however, put up a brave front. "I am extremely satisfied with
the performance," he said adding, "Dipika won the U-17 gold which
is a major achievement, while Anwesha Reddy entered the quarterfinals of the
Under-17 category…the players had performed to expectation."
Interestingly, the other player to do well at the British
Open was Aditya Jagtap, who too did not take part in the Scottish
Open. He was a bit unlucky but his achievements were no less
commendable, considering that he beat Pakistani U-17 champion and
second-seed Farhan Zaman 3-2 and lost in the quarterfinals to Egyptian Karim
Abdel Gawad in a marathon 83-minute match. Gawad went on to win the
tournament by beating the top seeded player of his country.
Comparison
A COMPARISON
SCOTTISH OPEN
Boys (U-19) : Harinderpal Sandhu
(champion)
(U-17) : Karan Mallik
(runner-up)
(U-15) : Mahesh Mangaonkar
(champion)
(U-11) : Sandeep Ramchandran
(champion)
Girls (U-17) : Anwesha
Reddy
(U15) : B. Aprajitha (runner-up)
(Six players who failed in both tournaments have been ignored) |
|
BRITISH
OPEN
Lost in 3rd rd
Lost in 1st rd
Lost in 3rd rd
Lost in 1st rd (in U-13 category)
Lost in QF
Lost in 1st rd
|
|