Kuching is a city in Malaysia where India recently achieved a historic feat in Asian doubles squash championship by winning all the three gold medals at stake. Indian players grabbed the men’s, women’s and mixed doubles events in a show of complete dominance not seen of the country in any championship till date. Interestingly three of the four players involved in this grand spectacle had their upbringing at the Indian Squash Academy in Chennai. Anahat Singh, the 17-year-old is the only player not in this company. One of the best talents the country has produced, Anahat who comes from Delhi already has a list of big achievements. She is the current national champion as well.
The three from Chennai are Abhay Singh, Velavan Senthilkumar and the veteran Joshna Chinappa. Abhay and Velavan picked up the gold in the men’s doubles, Joshna and Anahat bagged the women’s doubles gold and Abhay and Anahat took the mixed doubles gold. Thus Abhay and Anahat finished with double gold medals each. Great moments come but not easily as the Indians realised. The men’s doubles in particular, Abhay and Velavan had a tough call wearing down their Pakistani rivals Noor Zaman and Nasir Iqbal, a match that saw the Indian pair go down in the first game before coming back to take the next two to make history. Both Abhay and Velavan are great rivals and an equally formidable doubles pair too. Both have a list of PSA titles and the journey continues as they look forward to sharpen their skills with hopes of bigger deeds in the years ahead.
Abhay Singh and Velavan Senthilkumar – men’s doubles winner. All pictures credit: SRFI.
For Joshna big challenges are not new. The 19 times national champion had won the Asian singles title earlier and had the world doubles and Commonwealth Games doubles titles too in the company of another star player of her time – Dipika Pallikal Karthik. Yet, coming back after an injury phase and slow build up, this 38-year-old showed her hunger for excellence had not abated as she and Anahat ensured the women’s doubles were theirs!
The duo beat the Malaysian pair of Ainaa Amani and Xin Ying Yee.
Joshna Chinappa and Anahat Singh – women’s doubles winner.
For Abhay and Anahat the task had not ended until they came together to win the mixed doubles to make India’s joy complete. Their opponents in the title-round were Malaysians Rachel Arnold and Ameeshenraj Chandaran.
Abhay Singh and Anahat Singh – mixed doubles winner.
Absolutely thrilled at the achievements, Cyrus Poncha, former national coach and currently Secretary General of the Squash Rackets Federation of India said, “This is not a win, it’s a statement. Indian squash is rising and this is just the beginning”. With several major squash events to come up in the days and months ahead, not to forget the Asian Games in Japan next year, Poncha is optimistic that the players would continue to rise and give further boost to the sport which currently has been bringing medals for the country on a regular note.