Indian squash players will be the cynosure of all eyes at the Hong Kong Open

Joshna Chinappa will look to increase her consistency levels ahead of the Women’s World Championships

The Hong Kong Open starting on November 29 is the final stop for all the leading squash players before they embark on the world championship, albeit team championship, a few weeks from now. The men’s team, originally scheduled in Kuwait but for unavoidable reasons now has been shifted to Cairo while the women’s open will get underway in Kuala Lumpur.

Every player and every leading squash nation will aspire to finish there right at the top. But then realistically for a few, like India, for instance improving over previous years’ performance is in itself is a big jump. Anything further than that is sure to be counted as a bonus and a boost to the sport. It is unavoidable to be a little partisan when it comes to talk of how the Indians will perform. We are talking of the Hong Kong Open, one of the richest event on this side of the globe.

Over the years, there has been little to report of Indians’ show. From being a player who had to qualify for the main draw, names like Saurav Ghosal, Dipika Pallikal and Joshna Chinappa, the three leading stars of the country now walk in straight into the main draw by sheer dint of their standing on the ranking table. One may add their performances too.

It is tempting to dream big about these key players. Not that it is unrealistic, but consistency has never been their strong point. Still each has a way to catch the eye and even to cause a rumble or two. Leading players in the world in the professional circuit view each of them with a distinct sense of respect because on a given day nothing can be said.

Remember how Joshna dislodged the world number one Raneem El Welily of Egypt in the very first round in the Qatar Classic? The Indian national champion became the toast of the local crowd by that one brilliant essay. It is a different matter that Joshna did not go on to be inspired to ultimately take a tilt at the title, she was stopped at the quarterfinal stage by another top Egyptian (Omneya Abdel Kawy), but the Indian held the centre stage nevertheless and her performance was a talking point for a while.

It is such a show of skill that inspires one to think Joshna can go far. As her father Anjan Chinappa, himself a club-level , says of her, “Joshna today is far more relaxed, very matured and focused that she is not only enjoying her play but has begun to show a single-minded aim to achieve something.”

On many occasions in early years Joshna has thrown away chances through sudden impulsiveness but in Doha she showed she can play to her potential and with telling effect. This is a good sign and as experts believe players in squash normally touch their best in the late twenties and Joshna is just about ready for the big moments. To that extent there is high expectation from her in the Hong Kong tournament.

Similar is Dipika and Saurav, both eminently capable of unsettling the best on a given day. Even in loss in the second round in the recent World individual championship, his opponent James Willstrop spoke high of his ‘friend and sparring partner’. In the circuit Saurav is known for his swift movements and near perfect stroke play. Give him an inch and he will steal a mile, is a perfect adage when talking of him.

On the other hand, Dipika, the highest ranked among the three, is slowly getting back to form. She came into the limelight in the US Open where she came to the quarterfinal again to be beaten by that same Egyptian Kawy. But then en route she had notable wins over Joelle King and Alison Waters, no pushover players both. The girl with more international achievements is far more comfortable in a contest, unconcerned of the status of her opponent and that is her strong point.

So here is the wish that one of them at least will make people talk of Indian squash at Hong Kong. For the record, Harinderpal Sandhu and Mahesh Mangaonkar will also be competing though both will first have to take the test of the qualifiers.