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‘Vela played well’ was the mutual feeling echoed amongst his opponents Harinder Pal Sandhu and Abhay Singh after losing in the semi-final and final, respectively, of the men’s National Squash Championship.
In November this year, Velavan Senthilkumar was crowned as fresh national champion in the 79th edition of the annual event. This happened exactly a year after he lost to the same opponent, Abhay in the final despite holding a first-game advantage.
What was the difference between these two games? Avoid the internal noise and win the mental battle first, put the weight on each point, and stick to the present situation.
This was the base on which Velavan denied Abhay the match point in the third game when the latter staged a comeback. Acceleration of foot movement and vigorously diving forward were the key components for Velavan to pick three straight points to lift his maiden championship in the domestic circuit.
In an exclusive interaction with Sportskeeda, Velavan Senthilkumar said:
“He (Abhay) is someone who really doesn't give up. I really had to stay focused and beyond point, every single point had to be sharp. Because I knew he is someone who can always make a comeback. He has got those capabilities."
“It feels really nice. I am really happy to win the National title. That is something that I have always dreamed about winning and it's even more special because I am winning it in Chennai,” he added.
Velavan wasn’t able to play squash for the last four years because of his enrollment at Columbia University for his Bachelor’s in Psychology. He would only travel back to India to play the nationals. But once he decided to commit his full time on the court, the Salem-born youngster was devoided from his mojo.
“I think as soon as he graduated, he thought he would pick up from where he left off before when he started University. I think that was a major challenge for him because he came back after graduation,” said brother Guhan Senthilkumar, a national level squash player himself.
“The first loss was against Abhay. He played the selection trials against him and that was the first time he lost to Abhay in a long time. That really hit a major dip in his confidence. He had to start from scratch and work his way up,” he added.
Velavan Senthilkumar's resurgence
In September 2022, Velavan went to Barcelona, Spain, to tune into his shape under coach Victor Montserrat and fitness coach Bet Consegal. Thereafter, he made giant strides as he was out of 200 in the PSA World Tour rankings only to finish the year at 62.
He won four PSA Challenger events - Poznan Open (Poland), Breda Open (Netherlands), Gibraltar Open (Gibraltar), and Canberra Open (Australia) - en route to his national triumph. Speaking on the exposure gained from the international events, Velavan said:
“I feel like that is something great to have. The exposure to play different players outside India. You have that exposure to play those game styles from different players in different countries.
“It's something that gave me a lot of experience in terms of what to do in crucial moments or crucial points. Initially, it was tough for me to deal with losses for sure. When I started, there were a lot of low moments.”
Velavan played his first PSA World Tour silver event in Tauranga, New Zealand. He stunned World No.46 Shahjahan Khan of USA 3-2 (11-5, 11-1, 5-11, 9-11) in an intense first round before going down to local lad Paul Coll in straight games in the following round.
Though the 25-year-old is two years younger than his brother Guhan, both started playing the sport at the same time in 2006. Guhan, who made it to the quarter-finals of the squash nationals this year, has been a great competitor as well as a big motivator for his younger brother in practice sessions.
“Whenever I need someone to train it's pretty convenient for me because he is always here. Both of us can train together. It's also really happy to have him play squash because he gives me some really great insights. Something that only a squash player can give,” Velavan mentioned about the on-court sibling rivalry.
The parents of the two have enjoyed watching this competition as it brings out the best in their game, however, there is no favorite here.
“They always complement each other. So they take it more in sportsmanship and we always look forward that they come out with more challenges. Inside the court, they put their game first, which is good for their development,” said mother Priyadharshini.
Just like any Indian parent, Senthilkumar and Priyadharshini would want their sons to exceed expectations at the earlier part of their career, but with time passing, they pulled down the bar of expectations.
“They used to (put pressure on us). I think it's a journey for everybody. It's a journey for players, both of us, as well as for the parents. They have also learned not to push too much sometimes,” said Guhan.
Senthilumar, a garment exporter in Chennai, didn’t put too much into thinking when it was about investing in the squash career of his two children, given that racket sports are a bit expensive along with diet and training.
"It didn't matter to me what I spent on them. I want to give them to whatever maximum heights they can go. They were showing the results and everything. It is good for them that they are playing for India. Doesn't matter to me for sending them for all the tournaments and everything," said the proud father of the reigning national squash champion.
Velavan’s next target is to break into the top 50 rankings next year, though his mother wants him to make it to the top 20. His healthy competition with Abhay Singh is a great indication for Indian squash once the likes of Saurav Ghosal and Harinder Pal Sandhu hang their boots from the game.
