Press Reports (1998) 

 ISP LAUNCHES WEBSITE (9-9-98)

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Made In India, Playing the world over

Whom do you admire most? “Peter Nicol,” comes the reply from the nine-year-old  girl dressed in white as she eagerly glances at the CCI squash courts across the swimming pool. “Because he reaches  out for every shot and makes his opponent run.” Which you feel is the best strategy in a game of squash? “Actually, making your opponent run is far better,” she answers with a determined look. There is a loaded tea table before her but the little girl refuses to touch  anything  since she a game to play. Food and homework are taken care of after  practice sessions. 

By now other Kids easily discernible as being from Cathedral and Champion, being to arrive and Alisha Mashruwala, a student  of the fifth standard  in Bombay International, appears visibly  agitated. She has a booking for 4.30pm and certainly doesn’t wish to miss out on it. Three days a week, she is coached by Madhu Velinkar for half an hour. “First of all, he makes  me my work on my serve and parallel shots. After which, we play a game.” On other days, she practices  with her father, Tushar  Mashruwala. “I work on her basic fitness,” he says. After all, the game is a combination of stamina and stroke play.” 

Alisha is also a keen  swimmer and won the championship in the sub-junior category of her standard  by the fact that  she was selected for the senior relay team. 

Definitely, it’s sports all the way for Alisha. “I watch mainly the sports channels on TV-athletics, tennis, the roundups and squash, of course, whenever it’s featured, “she remarks. Since she started early at the age of seven, Alisha finds herself being admired by older boys and girls whose game has not reached the same level of development, “My favorite shot is the drop shot, and faced with one, I try to reach it even if it means only hitting the tin.” 

Alisha will be playing in the U-10 category of the Fuji Film Hong Kong Junior Squash Open 98 which begins today. In fact Alsiha is the only Indian representative in this event, In City tournaments Alisha generally takes part in the U-12 boys or U-14 girls categories since there are very few players in her age, group who compete, which is rather a pit when one sees the level of fitness this girl has achieved. To keep in top shape, Alisha training regimen includes swimming, athletics, skipping and a daily 2 km run. 

“Easy availability of courts and coaches would do much to popularize this sport amongst school children,” suggests her dad. “This would lead to increase levels of fitness as the game is excellent for building stamina and all-round fitness.” Aside from the physical benefits, a game like squash with its emphasis on court etiquette is good for character building, Face it, it’s better to admire Peter Nicol and Jansher Khan, rather than Karishma Kapoor and of the half a dozen Khan’s one sees in Bollywood. For, what does it profit a girl if she gains the lissome, waif like figure of a ramp model, only to lose out on her natural health. In Alisha’s case, she has plenty of both.

NO SUPPORT SYSTEM

MID-DAY                                                                                                                     31-07-1998

The curious case of Deepali Anvekar has virtually gone unnoticed. The talented Squash player, barely 17, qualified for a berth   in India’s team for the Asian Championships, yet did not make the trip to Kuala Lumpur.Instead went the girl she beat, Rhea Bhandare.

What went wrong?  Politics, say some insiders. She couldn’t organise her travel papers in time, say others Deepali herself has no comment to offer and holds no grudges against anyone. Pretty   cool for one so young whose dreams had been shattered.

What passes all understanding is how a player who had fought her way into the team had eventually to sacrifice the fruits of her labors because she could not get the   visa. Surely, something was wrong somewhere.

The mystery is solved when it is realized that Deepali was not given sufficient time to organize herself and matters relating to her trip. She had just 48 hours buy $300 and have it endorsed on her passport before applying to the Malaysian consulate in Delhi.

The poor girl was helpless, as the consult had a holiday and the weekend followed. She also found that she would have to return all alone as a teammates were from other parts of the country left with little choice she expressed her inability to make the trip.  

Who  is to be blamed? “I Would say it is 50-50”, maintains Mahendra Agarwal of Indian Squash Professionals who have played a big role in shaping Deepali by coming for ward to sponsor her. “ Part of the blame is with the squash Rackets Association of Maharashtra and the rest with Deepali.”

On the face of it, the SRAM would appear to be in a clear because Deepali had expressed her inability to make the trip.

Yet, was it not the duty of the state body to see that a player chosen to represent the country for the first time  a- girl at the – was helped  in every way?

Instead of writing brusque letter asking her to inform, preferably in writing and possibly within 24 hours, whether she could make the trip and reportedly having it  delivered at night  could not the SRAM have anticipated the problems involved and given a hand in solving them?

How could the SRAM get so impersonal and virtually wash its hands off when one of its own players  was involved? Is the state body a sort of post  office, delivering and receiving letter on behalf of the Squash  Rackets of the Federation of India?

The SRAM must be well aware that Deepali  come from a middle-class background and that her father is a handicapped  person. There was no way they could have run around  and got things done in a jiffy.

Even more important, the  SRAM should have recognized Deepali’s talent  and realized that  playing in the Asian would be just the exposure she needs to go higher up.

Above all, the SRAM should have taken pride that one of its players had earned India  colours  while  barely 17 and given Deepali all the help and support she needed.

While it is heartening that Deepali has taken  the setback in her stride and hopes that she will be able to make  it  next  year  the fact remain that the one-year wait will not be conducive to her growth.

Endowed with a strong physique she is also an athlete and   a swimmer Deepali is perhaps the hardest hitter in the women’s game in the country

However, she  is yet to learn the subtle nuances of squash like variation of pace, length and direction, the use of the side walls and the most opportune time to play a drop shot.

This is where the Asian would have helped to open her vision and served as a grate learning process.

Unfortunately, the  SRAM is lacking in vision though  it is headed by a player. Vaman Apte still loves to compete  and has  professed that  he is all for the players.  

However, as Deepali’s case underlines, good intentions alone of little avail.  This needs to be backed up by positive action.

The national body too is not above blame. As the dates of the Asian were know months ahead, could the SRFI not have held the trials well in time to enable the players to prepare themselves in every way?

Once it is decided to field a team for an international event it follows that all steps will be taken to ensure a good performance. Else, there is simply no point in going through the motions of selection and participation. It is sheer waste of time and money.

For a change the SRFI did the right thing by holding the trials for World Juniors are based.  

Yet, it has show the fore sigh to ensure that the chosen players reach the venue in advance and have sufficient time to not only recover from the long flight to the US but also get accustomed to the courts and the conditions.

It is simple precaution that practically every other nation follows. And it is the only way a player can put forth his best. India’s juniors are not super humans who can proceed from the airport to the court and beat the hell out of their opponents.

A world championship has to be approached in earnest.

An explanation being offered is that India’s juniors are unlikely to go far in the open event and the thrust will be on the team event to follow. The reason behind keeping a player out of the trials was quite the opposite. In his  case it was said that he could play only in the open as he  would be averaged for the team championship.

The issue was taken to court and all the negative publicity that followed was certainly not good for the game. The least the SRFI could have done was to understand the effected players eagerness to compete in the world championship which does not come every year and see what best could be done. Here was his last chance.

The lack of such understanding in the case of both Saket Wali and Deepali Anvekar and the reluctance to help them should suffice to show why talented youngsters are unable to come up.

GOD, GUN  AND GLORY

The plainly dressed man with the modest smile and slightly disheveled air holds a squash racket in one hand- and a Kalashnikov rifle in the other.

Jansheer Khan was, until the turn of the year, world squash’s no.1.Hence the racket.

He is also the latest of a remarkable dynasty of champions hailing from an impoverished village in the most northernly province of Pakistan, hard by the opium fields of the Khyber Pass. It is a dangerous land. Hence the Kalashnikov.

We are in Nawakille, a village a mile outside the busy frontier town of Peshawar. Here the houses are mode of mud, their two rooms home to up to 20 family members. Bare-footed children play in the streets, pot hole-ridden dirt tracks which turn to bogs when the rains fall.

This may be the last place on Earth to find a tradition for sporting excellence. But since 1952 a staggering eight world squash champions have emerged from this one village. The production line, so the locals will tell you, was sent to them by God.

I had traveled to Peshawar, where Jansher now lives in a splendid house far removed for his childhood origins, to play him on the squash court and to discover how he and his family had, despite seemingly impossible conditions emerged to dominate the sport for so long.

Jansher, whose injured knees have proved particularly troublesome recently, underwent surgery recently in Lahore which, he believes, will allow him to return to the top in time for the World Open in December in Mumbai. Second in the world for a Khan is simply not good enough.

Accompanied by bodyguards provided by the Pakistani government as a mark of respect, he showed me around Nawakille the day before out game. Far from being reluctant to reveal the poverty of his home village, Jansher seemed pleaded to be revealing his roots. He says: “Eight champions in just 50 years. We have no squash courts here, no proper toads, we have nothing. It’s impossible to imagine, isn’t it?”

Religion, in this devout Muslim part of the world were the Pathans sprawl over Northern Pakistan and Afghanistan plays its part in the story of the Khans. Jansher and his predecessors have always stressed how much they owe their success to Allah.

“If you are good to Allah, he will be good to you,” is how Jansher puts it. The disciplines of the Islamic faith are also conductive to a squash player. Yet there is more to this extraordinary story than this. It began when a small boy called Hashim Khan got a job fetching squash balls that had been hit out of court by the British officers at the club, the social center of the British army. As he watched, so Hashim learned all about the flight, bounce and speed of the ball. When the officers retired, Hashim grabbed the chance to play the game himself.

Sometimes he would sharpen his skills in the dying light of day, “Playing in the dark greatly helped my reflexes,” he would say later. His cousin, Haji Umra Khan, who still lives as a respected elder in Nawakille, adds: “Within a few months he became unbeatable. Playing with bare feet, on a concrete surface, in a court with no roof in the middle of the hot made Hashim very strong.

So strong, in fact that he returned to Nawakille in 1952 with the British Open title. The villagers could not believe that one of them had even been to Britain, let alone become a champion. Hashim went on to win the British Open seven times, before his younger brother, Asam, took over and helped himself to four further titles. Cousin Roshan followed, then nephew Mohibullah Senior.

Wasal, Atlas and Mohibullah Junior all won the world amateur title, Nasrullah coached Britain’s Jonah Barrington to world title glory, Sharif become the king of the North American hardball circuit, and the great Jahangir Khan also stems from this tiny village. Even today, of the 500 boys who practice daily in Peshwar, 450 arrive from Nawakille.

One of them used to be Jansher Khan. His former physical  trainer, Gulam Ali, recalled how hard his pupil worked.

“Jansher had an extra reason for this. His elder brother, Mohibullah, who had reached No.2 in the squash world, was imprisoned in 1982 after being caught smuggling drugs at Heathrow Airport. Despite his protestations of innocence, proved later to be true after a formed friend in Pakistan admitted placing the heroin in his luggage, Mohibullah spent six years in prison.

“When Mohibullah went to prison I was so upset I thought about giving up squash even before I had really started,” Jansher admits. “But my brother asked me to become champion, and so I did, for me my family’s name, and especially for Mohibullah. It helped to take some of the pain away from us all.”

The Khans of Nawakille and Peshawar say that many of them have replaced the rifle with another potent weapon the squash racket.

“We used to fight to the death in the hills and mountains and now we do the same on the squash court,” Jansher says. “We always avenge defeats, in war and in squash, it is the part of out duty. An opponents is the enemy and must be beaten”.

There are some who suggest that there is nobody to follow Jansher. There is no their player from Pakistan in the top 16 in the world. “Perhaps this is the case for a year or two,” Jansher admits. “But I am sure many more champions will come from Nawakille and out family. It’s in out blood.”

Jansher has a son. His name is Ayaz and he is only give. Already his father has plans: “I will coach him myself. I think he stands a chance.”

I think so, too.

COURTING VICTORY

TIMES OF INDIA                                                                                                        7-03-1998

For 21-year-old Akhil Behl. Success is sweet. Regular on the club circuit, he was part of the Indian team at the men’s world championship at Cairo in 1995 where his performance clearly indicated at winner in the making.

Behl traces his squash roots to the Otters Club, Mumbai, which shot to fame 15 years ago when team member Meherwan Daruvala won the men’s national title, the first of his five triumphs. Otters has since dominated the scene in Mumbai squash, with Paul Ferriera, Arif Patel, Rohan Bhappu, Gaurav ad Rohan Juneja, Abhijit Kukreja and many others emerging from the same stable.

The soft-spoken Behl has let his racket do the talking. He set his racket do the talking. He set his sights on the Commander-in-Chief Trophy, and at the MCC Courts in Chennai, went right for it.

His rise to the top has been a result of his own hard work. The Otters Club professional Chandrakant Pawar has helped him a lot but essentially it has been a matter of perseverance. The politics of the game have not helped. He was chosen to play for the 1996 Asian Championships at Jordan but the powers-that-he had final say. He put this disappointment behind him and went to Singapore where he won the Perrier Asian junior satellite. And now his victory in the men’s nationals is a reward for his endeavors.

And now, what’s next on the agenda? The bigger league, perhaps? Although he has played on the international circuit, son far, it’s been tough, more so because of the lack of sponsorships available. But last year he decided to try for a place at Harvard University and in a few months time, he should be on his way to his ivy League institution.

Will he be back? “Most definitely”, he says. “ I have grown up here. I have learnt my squash here and I’ll be back to defend my national title.” 

Do more for juniors Says Rahmat

Squash coach Rehmat Khan has added another feather to his vapt. Rahmat, why, has been coaching the city's top juniors, was instrumental in Maharashtra's triumph in the Inter-State squash championships held in Calcutta recently.

How did you assess the team's performance?

I think it was a good effort. It was team work, there was a lot pressure on everybody and everyone acquitted himself and everyone acquitted himself well. at end of the day we came out winners, and that's all that matters.

Did you believe all along that you would win this event?

Yes, we did, when left home we thought we could win this event. We knew that Niraj instead of Amitpal as he has more experience. I went out with Niraj and worked on his technique and strokes. He played very well in to him we pulled it off.

What made you take up the assignments?

I am a very busy man, but I am back into squash because I love the game. I am living in India and I would like to do something for the game. If there is any chance whether it's the state body, the Indian Squash Professionals who gave me the break or the national federation, I am always available.

How is your junior coaching scheme?

The juniors have been doing very well. we did well in Hong Kong and in the junior Nationals in Delhi last year. Anybody who has seen them he said that they have really improved . One of the juniors , Jaiswal has improved quite a lot, But still I am not satisfied as I want them to do well on the world circuit. Doing well in India is okay, that's the first step but my target is the international stage.

Would you like to single out any one's performance over the last year?

In my group I have  24 children, Bikram Uberoi played well in Hong Kong. The juneja twins, Saket Wali and Siddharth Suchde have also been playing really awl. Among the girls, Supriya has been playing really very well. Among the girls, Supriya has been making a mark. They all are showing very good results. They are doing their bit, but I am hoping ISP will also come forward and help them as the juniors are on investment for the future.

Has the ISP asked you to help them like you are helping the SRAM. Have they approached you?

You see when I came into the game, it was the ISP, I did two coaching camps for them, one was free of cost. Then after that the SRAM got in touch with me. In the meeting there was free of cost. Then after that the SRAM got in touch with me. In the meeting there was Subhash Wali, Vaman Apte, and Rustom Dala, three of them came to me and it's good they engaged me, as in the long run it's our boys and the game of squash that we want to help.  I have a contract with the SRAM for two years, but if the ISP approaches me I am always willing to help them out also.  Both associations should get together and do something good for the game. 

What are your plans from here?

I am working with the juniors and they are doing well and in my plan I would like to see players from Pakistan and overseas coming here to play.  I also would like to take my boys abroad to play in competitions.  Hopefully, I will be working on that.  We should also get together and do something for the seniors as the juniors look to them as heroes. 

There has been a lot of flak about the SRAM, that they are not doing enough for the game.  Would you like to comment on this?

If there is anybody who is doubting something they should sit whit the committee members and work it out between themselves.  It's no good just talking and not helping that will only harm the game.  And don't just finish it there until something is done. 

What was it like working with a great champion like Jahangir?

I took this boy from Pakistan when he was just 15 years old and trained him for two years and he became world champion.  And then I trained him for 10 years.  I was not really his manager as others were managing him, but the ideas were mine.  I had 10 years of great squash with Jahangir, we traveled all over the world, we had the best times on and off the court. 

You are involved in diverse things.  How do you have time for all of this and squash?

Oh, that's very difficult as I am also involved with films and music.  But because I love the game and I've decided to help Indian squash so I have found time to help.

How can we make the game more marketable?

Mainly the associations have to come out with good ideas and put those ideas to the sponsors and television.  There is a lot of money and sponsors will come in if they get something out of it.  The media should also play their part in promoting the game.  If I am approached I will readily give my advice as I know what it's all about as I was involved with Jahangir.

Akhil Behl's Felicitation

Gautam Thakkar(Bombay Gymkhana,President), Vijay Kumar Gautam(Collector, Mumbai), Paul Ferriera(team member of victorious Maharashtra team), Akhil Behl, Raj Singh Dungarpurkar, Chandrakant Pawar, Riaz Mohammed & Mahendra Agarwal at the function.

Newly crowned National Squash Champion Akhil Behl was felicitated by the Indian Squash Professional (ISP) at a function at the Bombay Gymkhana on Thursday night. Behl had beaten three-times National champion Arjan Singh in the final in Chennai earlier this month.  A Dubai based Indian businessman Shyam Bhatia has invited Behl to play inter-club and exhibition matches in Dubai.  He will also sponsor Behl’s trip. 

Behl who was instrumental in Maharashtra’s triumph in the Inter-State tournament in Calcutta, was presented with a salver by Raj Singh Dungarpur, the president (BCCI).  Praising Behl, the Collector of Mumbai, Vijay Kumar Gautam, hoped that he would emulate the splendid showing of three former champions from Mumbai, eight-time National champion Anil Nayar, five-times winner Meherwan Daruvala and six-times champion Adrian Ezra.

The Maharashtra team members were also presented with mementos by the President of the Bombay Gymkhana and former badminton player Gautam Thakkar.  Noted professional Chandrakant Pawar was also honoured for reaching the finals of the National championships on 16 occasions.

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