Prosquash: 25 and still going strong

Mid-Day – 16 / 01 / 2003

IT’S been a squashing decade, so to say, for the Indian Squash Professionals, a non-profit organization founded in 1993 to promote the game in the country. Exactly a decade back in January’93 the ISP conducted the first ever squash tournament since independence only for Professionals as well as a doubles tournament.

Since then, ISP has organised 43 tournaments, 10 free coaching camps all over the country and adopted three players – Arif Paul, Deepali Anvekar and Priyanka Yadav.

Also marking a silver jubilee of sorts was the ISP’s squash magazine ‘Prosquash’, the 25^th issue of which was unveiled by the recentiy crowned national champion Manish Chaotrani at a function last evening.

The magazine is distributed to 3,000 squash players free of cost throughout the country.

PROSQUASH’ TURNS 25

The Free Press Journal – 18 / 01 / 2003

THE Indian Squash Professionals, a non-profit making organization, set up in 1993 by Mahendra Agarwal to forward the cause of the professionals, reached a milestone when they released the 25^th edition of their monthly news magazine ‘Prosquash’.

The honour of releasing the 25^th edition of ‘Prosquash’ was given to recently crowned men’s national champion, Manish Chotrani at a function held at the Press Club on Tuesday.

‘Prosquash’ is being distributed to 3000 squash players free of cost and is read by more than 15,000 squash lovers throughout the country. Charting the achievements of ISP, Mahendra Agarwal said that the ISP had conducted 43 tournaments till date, organised 100 free coaching camps all over India, including Rajkot and Mussorie and adopted three players (Arif Paul, Deepali Anvekar and Priyanka Yadav).

The ISP also has its own website, www.ispsquash.com, the only active squash website in the country, which receives, at an average, 1,50,000 hits per month. According to Agarwal, the ISP was instrumental in introducing Rehmat Khan, the coach of the legendary Jehangir Khan, to Indian squash. He conducted two camps for ISP and went on to work for SRAM. The ISP was also instrumental in getting the government of Maharashtra’s recognition for squash in May 2000, in association with SRAM.

PROSQUASH LAUNCHED (11-12-1996)

Boost for squash pros

Pioneer : 12/12/1996 RAHMAT KHAN, the erstwhile coach of squash legend Jahangir Khan, has offered his services to the Indian Squash Professionals, an organization formed for the betterment of the professionals or markers as they are called. At a function to release their newsletter, Pro Squash, detailing the activities of professionals and Indian squash in general, Rehmat, a first cousin of Jahangir, said he was coming back to the game after a seven year gap and would be happy to be instrumental in helping the young squash talent in the country. Releasing the news-letter, Mr Phiroze Pandole, the grand old man of squash, said it was laudable that someone had come forward to help the professionals.

He recalled the days when Pakistani professionals worked at Mumbai’s clubs and raised the standards of Indian squash.

Subhash Wali, one of the directors of ISP, said the organization wanted to bring all the squash professionals in the country under their umbrella so that they could improve themselves and in turn help the youngsters at the clubs where they worked.

Vaman Apte, newly elected president of the Squash Rackets Federation of India promised full support to the ISP.

The ISP has on its rolls nearly 50 professionals working at the city’s clubs and five star hotels.