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25-Jan-07, Mumbai:
ISP Platinum
Jubilee
Pradeep Vijayakar reports
from Mumbai |
Mumbai, Jan. 30
Malhotra sets up clash with Kapoor
Vikram Malhotra booked a place in the finals of the U/19 category of
the 75th tournament, the ISP Platinum All-India Squash Carnival
2007, organized by the Indian Squash Professionals at the
glass-backed squash courts of the Juhu Vile Parle Gymkhana and The
Club, Andheri, here on Tuesday. Malhotra disposed off Kunwarpal
Singh 11-8, 11-5, 10-12, 11-9.
Malhotra won a close first game and followed it up with more
confident performance in the second game. The third game went down
to the wire and it was Singh who pulled off a few good shots to come
out the winner. The fourth game was a close one as well but Malhotra
held his nerve and stayed ahead of his opponent to enter the final.
He will face Delhi boy Sohail Kapoor, who pulled off an upset to
topple second seed Cyrus Vakil. Apart from the first game the second
and third were a one sided affair. Vakil failed to put up enough
resistance to stave off his opponent.
In the women's section top seeded Joshna Chinappa despite an injured
left ankle managed to beat Shivangi Paranjpe 11-8, 11-4, 11-6.
Despite some real effort from Shivangi she could upset the rhythm of
Joshna. The writing was on the wall once the first game was won as
for all of Shivangi's efforts she came out empty handed after the
game. Joshna will meet second seed Dipika Pallikal in the final
today. Pallikal managed to book her place despite strong opposition
from Mandy Kennedy, specially in the third game but finally Dipika
won the match 11-7, 11-4, 9-11, 11-7.
In an exciting encounter in the Boys U/17 semi final Laxman Joshi of
Jindal Squash Academy got the better of Karm Kumar from Delhi in a
tough five game match that was poised beautifully. Joshi had an
upper hand in the game and was leading by two games to love. A surge
in confidence in the boys from Delhi saw the game take an important
turn. After winning the third game Kumar had his sights focused on
winning the fourth game.
With the adrenalin still pumping Kumar stayed ahead of his opponent
to take the fourth game 11-7. The fifth game began with both players
scrapping for points. The game became high intensity with both going
for the kill. Kumar stayed with Joshi. But a few nervous errors cost
him dear as Joshi pulled away after they were square at 5-5. The
errors continued and Kumar eventually lost the match 11-8, 11-3,
9-11, 7-11, 11-6.
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RESULTS:
Women's (S/F): 1-Joshna Chinappa bt 3-Sivangi Paranjpe 11-8, 11-4,
11-6; 2-Dipika Pallikal (TN) bt Mandy Kennedy 11-7, 11-4, 9-11,
11-7.
Girls u-15 (S/F): 1-Saumya Karki bt Rinki Soni ( Jindal Squash
Academy) 11-3, 11-4, 11-8; 2-Ankita Sharma bt Shria Khatri 11-8,
11-5, 11-3.
Boys u-19 (S/F): 1-Vikram Malhotra bt Kunwarpal Singh 11-8, 11-5,
10-12, 11-9; Sohail Kapoor (Delhi) bt 2-Cyrus Vakil 11-9, 11-6,
11-8.
Boys u-17 (S/F): 2-Laxman Joshi (Jindal Squash Academy) bt Karm
Kumar (Delhi) 11-8, 11-3, 9-11, 7-11, 11-6.
Boys u-15 (S/F): 1-Aditya Jagtap bt Aakash Borwankar 11-4, 11-3,
11-6; Abhishek Pradhan bt Pranay Merchant 11-6, 11-4, 11-7.
Boys u-13 (S/F) : 1-Mahesh Mangaonkar bt Vrishab Kotian 18-16, 11-8,
11-5; 2-Rahil Fazelbhoy bt Ishaan Advani 8-11, 11-7, 11-3, 11-7.
Boys & Girls u-9 (S/F): 1-Rajat Agarwal bt Jui Kalgutkar 11-0, 11-2,
11-2; 2-Sandeep Paswan bt Yohan Surti 11-7, 11-6, 11-7.
Professionals: 1-Mahesh Verma (Nashik) bt Vijay Waghela 6-11, 11-4,
11-2, 12-10; 2-Sanjay Pawar bt Sachin Jadhav 11-9, 11-3, 13-11.
For Today's clock: Squash – ISP Platinum Jubilee All India Squash
Carnival finals 12.00 noon onwards at JVPG & The Club.
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25-Jan-07, Mumbai:
One good deed that deserved and got
another and another and another ...
Pradeep Vijayakar reports on the 75th event
for ISP |
 When
Mahendra Agarwal called me to his office Andheri for advice on how
to publicise his activities I was struck by the feelings he had for
the markers on the squash courts who are the step that all squash
players trod first when they begin playing the game.
It is the marker who shows you the right grip the right stroke and
how to hit the ball. You may be the young kid of five or six, or an
elderly one having got membership of a swank club when you begin to
afford it, or a tourist who happens to pass a squash court in a
hotel and decided to have game.
What Agarwal set out to do has been unique. He formed an association
of these markers, Indian Squash Professionals. Once that
nomenclature was given these markers suddenly began to be addressed
as professionals in the manner of those in the west. Today 15 years
later, these pros are earning a good living thanks to ISP. Where
they would earn Rs 2,000 they are earning a minimum Rs 10,000. Some
of them have flats of their own and drive cars.
Agarwal's ISP kept alive till recently by Chandrakant Pawar,
nine-times National Professionals Champion, is now in the news
because it is holding its platinum jubilee squash tournament a Rs 4
lakh event which will have India's top notchers Joshna Chinappa
and Dipika Pallikal and Ritwik Bhattacharya playing.
The two were training in UK with an Egyptian coach but their
sponsors Mittal Champions Trust has allowed them to break to play
this event which their Trust is supporting.
This holding of tournaments was another part of ISP. "It began as a
fun event I never thought we would go on holding tournaments so
regularly,'' said Agarwal.
I remember going to watch a doubles tournament on a Sunday at The
Leela Kempinski hotel where Capt Nair and his son Vivek encouraged
the sport. I was scared players might end up hitting each other as
the dimensions of the court were not bigger than the normal one. But
Mumbai's players are naturals and they adjusted superbly and doubles
became a rage in Mumbai squash. It will be a big draw at the
Platinum tournament.
The pros began organizing tournaments, handicap tournaments also.
The ISP soon began to take the shape of a NGO, a unique non
government organization helping sport which caused Shiv Malhotra,
secretary of the Squash Rackets Association of Maharashtra to say:
"I don't know where squash would have been without ISP.'' Well it
was just three tournaments a year between August and December before
ISP stepped in.
Coming back to the pros, they began refereeing, organizing
tournaments and of course expanded their own horizons by going
through the various grade exams. Time was when Malaysian Maj Maniam
conducted a course for markers at the CCI (which I also did) where
the markers wrote their papers in their mother tongue Marathi. But
15 years down the line at a Level I course Maniam conducted at the
Otters Club under the aegis of the Asian federation there were
professionals who wrote their answers in English and got their Level
I certificate. Predictably they were from the ISP.
Going beyond the professionals, ISP's activities have been varied.
Adopting players, organizing coaching camps, having celebrities
involved in the sport as well as ushering in new technology.
ISP prided itself on its camps-- the first being Monarch's first
free Coaching camp 1993,followed by those of Jindal, squash legend
Rahmat Khan (for Professionals and women) besides periodic ones of
Canada-based Abdul Shaikh at Bombay Gymkhana 1997. Camps followed at
the Andheri Sports Complex and of late in housing socieities.
Squash is a costly sport so ISP began adopting players looking after
their coaching and kitting expenses, also those for tournament play.
Arif Paul (1996), Deepali Anvekar (1997),Priyanka Yadav (1999),
Abhishek Pradhan (2003) and Ankita Sharma (2005) were the
beneficiaries.
In order to reach out to fans across the world, ISP launched
PROSQUASH, India's leading squash newsletter in December 1996. News
from other states began to be highlighted for the first time in
Mumbai. The first Indian squash website (www.squashindia.com)
followed in January 15, 1997.
Jahangir Khan's cousin and coach Rahmat Khan had made Mumbai his
home for a while and ISP got him into the mainstream of the city's
squash circuit.
The biggest achievement of the ISP was teaming up with the state
body to get squash recognized by the government of Maharashtra. It
happened on June 1, 2000.
Squash in Mumbai went hi-tech with a Booster Machine being imprted
by ISP in 2003.
In 1998 golden pros, Shyamlal Verma (14 times national pro champ)
and Chandrakant Pawar ( 9 times pro champ) were given Lifetime
Achievement Awards.
National winners Akhil Behl, Vikram Malhotra were felicitated. ISP
networked with Herald Maritime to have the biggest prize money event
in Mumbai for which squash greats Jahangir Khan and Jansher Khan
came and interacted with the Indian juniors.
As the number of tournaments grew newer clubs began making the
scene. There was revival at Juhu Vile Parle Gymkhana while the
handicap league kept getting better and schools and junior college
tournaments began attracting players from outside Mumbai.
The ISP's 75th event will be icing on the cake.
Ritwik's Ready
Mid-day : January 24, 2007
India’s No 1 squash player Ritwik Bhattacharya will lead the
Indian challenge in the men’s category of the ISP Platinum
Jubilee All-India Squash Carnival 2007 that will also see
three Pakistani players in action at Juhu Vile Parle Gymkhana
and The Club –– its official venue, from January 26-31.
World No 41, Ritwik, the top seed in this tournament, is
followed by three Pakistanis — Khalid Atlas Khan (World No
80), Shaukat Raza Khan and Adil Atlas Khan.
After an eventful 2006, Ritwik Bhattacharya is aiming to start
his 2007 campaign on a solid note. In fact, he arrived in the
city quite early so as to get into the groove for the
prestigious tournament.
 “Earlier,
I had planned a trip to America to play in some tournaments
there. But, I changed my mind to have enough time to practice
here,” Ritwik told MiD DAY.
“I had committed myself for this tournament and I’m very
enthusiastic about it. I landed here five days earlier so as
to get some crucial practice before the actual event gets
underway on January 26,” he added.
Ritwik attained his all-time best ranking of 38 in November
last year. However he had some forgettable matches against
fellow Indian players — he has lost twice to India No 2 Saurav
Ghosal and once to India No 3 Gaurav Nandrajog since August
2006.
His last major tournament was the Doha Asian Games where he
went down to Ghosal 3-1 in the quarter-finals, however Ghosal
is not playing in this tournament. So will he be missing out
on some quality opposition?
"I don’t know about that because I have not received the draw
yet. So, I am unaware who all are participating in the event.
"But I’d like to start the new season on a winning note and a
win here would be a nice warm up for my Europe tour which is
in February," Ritwik said.
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Tournament Website |
SQUASH CARNIVAL
HINDUSTAN TIMES : Mumbai, January 23
INDIAN SQUASH PROFESSIONALS (ISP) will celebrate their 75th
tournament at the Juhu Vile Parle Gymkhana and The Club, Andheri,
from January 26 to 31. The ‘ISP Platinum Jubilee all india squash
carnival 2007’ offers a prize money of Rs. 5.45 lakh.
The six-day extravaganza will have top Indian players like Ritwik
Bhattacharya and Vikas Jangra battling it out with against a
Pakistan trio of Khalid Atlas Khan, Shoukat Raza Khan and Adil Atlas
Khan in the men’s singles.
The star attractions in women will be Joshna Chinappa and Dipika
Pillikal. |
ISP SQUASH FROM FRIDAY
DNA SPORTS : 24/1/2007
DNA Correspondent
Top Indian squash players will be vying for honours in the ISP
Platinum Jubilee All- India Squash Carnival, to be organized by
Indian Squash Professionlas from January 26 to 31 at the Juhu Vile
Parle Gymkhana and The Club, Andheri, respectively .
In the men’s segment, indian number one and world no. 41 Ritwik
Bhattacharya has received the top billing followed by three players
from oakistan Khalid Atlas Ansari, Shaukat Raza and Adil Atlas Khan.
The winner in the men’s segment will be richer by Rs. 1,00,000.
whereas the runner up will take home Rs. 50,000. The losing
semifinalists will be receiving Rs. 20,000 each respectively. |
NOW, A SQUASH MARATHON
Times of India : 24/1/07
Mumbai: After the marathon on the roads, it is time for a marathon
indoors. 450 players will take part in 16 events over six days at
the ISP Platinum Jubilee Squash Cranival to be held at The Club (Andheri)
and Juhu Vile Parle Gymkhana.
Ashish Gupta, the president of Indian Squash Professionals (ISP),
said the age groups are from under 7 to over 60 ensuring all squash
enthusiasts can test their skills.
Doubles was the event that ISP promoted for the first time in Mumbai
and it will see the most competitors.
Indian top stars Ritwik Bhattacharya, Joshna Chinappa, Deepika
Pallikal will be seen along with Pakistan players Khalid Atlas
(ranked no. 80), Shaukat Raza and Adil Atlas. There will be some
razmatazz as well with Nisha Sagar’s fashion show being the top of
the list.
The men’s singles winner stands to gain Rs. 1 lakh, with the
runner-up getting richer by Rs. 50,000. while the women’s singles
winner will take home Rs. 50,000. and the runner-up Rs. 25,000.
prize money in all categories will be offered up to the semifinal
stage. |
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