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Asian Junior Championships
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Joshna looks to the future
Eswar Ramachandran reports on the
prospects for the queen of Indian squash ...
Sheffield in England is a sort of second home for Joshna Chinappa,
from where she has been starting the season every year since 2002.
The young Indian hopeful made her maiden trip to this wonderful city
a memorable one, by clinching the British Open Under-17 title in
2003. The very next year was also fruitful, though she failed to
clear the last hurdle in the Under-19 category of the British Open.
This year, Joshna did not compromise for anything less than the
coveted crown. She has also become well known to the British, the
place she loves.
Her rivals must be ruing their defeats, at times cruel ones. But
Joshna is more humane and is also sentimentally attached to
Sheffield as her career graph shows the upward trend ever since she
won the British Open, as an under-17 school kid beating Australia’s
Donna Urquhart 9-6 9-5 9-3 after ousting the top seed Sara Badr of
Egypt.
Champions always look ahead. And Joshna is no different. Within a
fortnight after deservedly clinching a coveted title at a venue
considered as ‘Mecca of Squash’ – The British Open Junior – Joshna
proved her mettle by retaining the Asian Junior title in Chennai
today.
She is the Prima Dona of the game in this group and based on her
British Open title she should be top seeded in the World Juniors.
And, rightfully, she started 2005 also at Sheffield on a positive
note for achieving many more laurels. In fact, she has risen to be
recognised as ‘Queen of Indian Squash’ for sometime now. Will Joshna
remain at the stable with this tag? She should, if she does not take
her mind and eyes off the game.
Apart from her exploits during the last three years on different
surfaces and courts, Joshna was looked upon to achieve an individual
medal in the World Juniors in Cairo in August 2003.
It was her misfortune that she met a rival not only senior to her by
age but the tournament favourite and ultimate winner of the title,
Omneya Abdel Kawy of Egypt in the quarterfinals.
Joshna remains the first Indian ever to reach the last eight in any
World Junior championship and also erased the Indian tag of ‘also
ran’ in the past by finishing fourth in the Order of Merit in Team
event.
In between, Joshna kept her momentum to win both the titles in the
11th Asian Junior Championship in Islamabad, Pakistan in February
2003, and grabbed the silver medal in the German Open in Under-19.
Individually, with age behind her, Joshna is looked upon to break
all records in the years to come. She has such a lineage as the
great grand daughter of Late Field Marshal of India,
K.M.Carriappa. She has toughness in attitude; after all it is in
her genes.
Thus, a world title should be within her grasp for she has already
broken the barriers having won the junior age group titles in
Malaysia, Singapore, Hongkong, Sheffield (Under-17), Scotland and
the richest harvest among them all, the British Open (Under-19)
title this month.
One could imagine the plight of this little girl, Joshna, a gritty
warrior on court. Of course, she is moving in the right direction to
write her name in golden letters in the World level but her dream
could come true only when she compromises in finding the required
finance.
In order to help her put the country on the world map of Squash; the
Squash Rackets Federation of India has plans to recommend her name
to the Sports Ministry of the Government of India. Only then, Joshna
could obtain a grant of about USD 10,000 per year, so that she could
travel to different countries for competitions and find potential
sparring partners to achieve more laurels.
The Government advertise in almost all newspapers in the country
informing sportspersons on the huge corpus fund lying unutilised in
its treasury for distribution for their travel and training and
competing in international events in their chosen sport.
Mr.N.Ramachandran, Secretary General of the Indian Squash
Federation and President of the Asian Squash Federation is a guarded
man of great affability. There is nothing particularly extraordinary
about his presence but he exudes mere common sense. He put Indian
Triathlon on the world map and then brought sport of Squash into the
mainstream in India, besides its present financial life -- both in
India and to a great extent, in Asia.
There were times that Mr.Ramachandran felt the pendulum slow but
turned it to run by bringing in reputed international coach, Maj.
Maniam of Malaysia to India as its Consultant Coach. The proof
is in the pudding and the Indians presently occupy the status that
was not there two or three years ago.
She is such a modest girl, Joshna duly credits her achievements and
present status to the help including training, rendered by both the
Indian Federation and her state body, the Tamil Nadu Squash Rackets
Association.
The Indian Squash Federation has held a series of meetings with the
Officials of the Government Sports Ministry and its efforts to push
squash to the elite group of sports disciplines with the Indian
Government should bear fruits sooner or later.
The Government has over Rs.Two crores lying unutilised under the
National Sports Development Fund Scheme. The Indian Federation
awaits Joshna’s formal request for government grants. One also
should realise that there cannot be smoke without fire.
More than anything, Joshna is confident that she will turn her dream
into reality only through the SRFI. One is also sure that the Indian
Squash Federation, rated as one of the best run and managed bodies,
will help Joshna realising her dream. A dream nurtured by her day in
and day out, to clinch a World title.
The SRFI has also decided to provide her the best of training along
with six other players presently in the ongoing camp for the World
Juniors in August in Belgium.
Maj.Maniam told SquashSite that "the probables including Joshna have
been under preparation for the World Junior for over a year now. We
have Joshna as the best bet for an Individual medal in Belgium but
my job is only to prepare the players and the team for major
tournaments and championships, but to field them in events around
the world rest with the Indian Federation."
With each Federation required to nominate its team for the World
Junior before June this year, the Indian Federation is also in the
process of finalising its representatives. But, whether Joshna will
represent the country in the World Junior remains a million-dollar
question.
For Joshna is yet to sign with the Indian Federation to remain in
the Academy and restart her training under Maj.Maniam and the
national coach, Cyrus Poncha.
The trials and tribulations of Joshna, whose parents fund themselves
to find the required finances for their ward’s travel abroad for
tournaments and championships, are not known to many, who patronises
sportspersons in India. But Joshna, a modest girl but a warrior on
court during match play knows that perseverance pays. At the same
time, it is also hard to digest as to why Joshna and the Federation
are on a warpath.
It is felt that it cannot be an ego clash, since Joshna has been
representing the country in Asian Games and championships and Open
tournaments under the Indian Federation banner like many other
players.
Under the circumstances, We are sure, God almighty will lend a hand
to her through the Asian and Indian Squash Federations.
Eswar Ramachandran
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Saurav makes history
by entering Asian finals
By Pradeep Vijayakar
Chennai: Kuwait’s sensational Abdullah Al Mezayen played
breathtaking squash but the winning squash came from Pakistani
prodigy Amir Atlas.
That’s why the top seeded nephew of the great Jansher Khan took his
appointed place in the boys final of the 12th Asian Junior Squash
Championship with a 5-9,9-3,9-3,9-6 win at the ICL Academy courts on
Saturday.
In the final Amir plays India No 1 Saurav Ghoshal who
prevented an all-Pakistan final with a 9-2,9-0,9-2 win over Bilal
Zaman.
N Ramachandran, secretary-general of the SRFi, was exulting over the
semi-final results:"It is the first time an Indian boy and girl have
entered the final of any Asian Juniors event. In fact in a Pakistani
dominated Asians it is the first time an Indian lad has made it to
the final.’"
Joshna Chinappa had things under control to take her
appointed place in the girls final with a 9-3,10-8,9-6 win over
Malaysia’s Delia Arnold. She takes on the second seed
Annie Au of Hong Kong who got past Malaysia’s Sally Looi
9-3,9-3,9-1.
Adbullah magic thwarted by Khan
The way he shaped in the opening game Abdullah instead of being a
`diwana’ made his opponent Amir one. In squash terms he made him run
around in circles. Any volley he got Abdullah was sure to put away.
Abdullah had a win over Saurav Ghoshal at the Asian Seniors a couple
of years ago. But Amir Atlas, true to Pakistani tradition, has
squash racing through his veins. His fitness was amazing. He was
picking up seeming winners even as Abdullah played the rare shot a
backhand overhead into the nick parallel to the side wall. And on
occasions driving hard into the corners. Amir’s lithe slides to
reach the ball took one’s breath away. It also left his opponent
gasping for breath.
Amir Atlas had Jansher as an uncle(elder brother Atlas is his
father), plus as coach the one who coached Jahangir Khan to
glory—Rahmat Khan. Rahmat told him to keep the ball to the back of
the court. From there there was no way Abdullah could hit winners at
will. Abdullah began making errors as he tried to finish and began
to fade away. He made a last-ditch effort in the fourth
game after being 1-2 down but Amir kept ball in play eschewed errors
and with his stamina untouched, won a great tactical battle.
Ghosal's tough task
Ghoshal played the traditional game of parallels interspersed with
the crosscourts and hit winners with the drop from back and the
boast. Bilal is a nephew of another Pakistani great Qamar Zaman. But
for once bloodlines didn’t count.
Asked his prognosis for the final, India coach Cyrus Poncha said:
"It will be tough. Amir is fast and fit."’ As for Amir Atlas he
said:"I have beaten Bilal Ashfaq the one who beat Saurav at the last
World Juniors. I am confident."
Now only the home crowd element can help the Indian make a historic
double for India.
Pradeep Vijayakar
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