Asian Games: Confidence high amongst Indian squash players

Dipika Pallikal

Chennai, Sep 15 (IANS)

The Indian squash team, scheduled to depart Monday night, hopes to win medals at the Incheon Asian Games.

"It is nice to be united again after the Commonwealth Games. We hope to do better this time," said Joshna Chinnappa, who won the Commonwealth Games doubles gold medal with Dipika Pallikal.

Saurav Ghosal, who is also top seeded in the men's singles, preferred to take it "one match at a time" for himself, but overall, he was confident of returning with a better collection of medals this time.

The team, other members are Mahesh Mangaonkar, Harinderpal Sandhu, Kush Kumar, Dipika, Anaka Alankamony and Aparajitha Balamurukan.

National Coach Cyrus Poncha, who is accompanying the team, supervised the contingent's final session Monday at the Indian Squash Academy here.

S. Maniam, the Squash Rackets Federation of India's consultant coach who will also be in Incheon with the team, said: "I have found the players all charged up for the occasion. I think we should be back with at least four medals, better than last time."

In all, four gold medals (besides others) are at stake in squash - one each in individual singles (men and women) and one each in team events (men and women).

At the Guangzhou Asian Games in 2010, India had won three bronze medals with Ghosal winning an individual medal and the men's and women's teams one each.