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Squash Rackets Federation of India (SRFI) secretary general Cyrus Poncha said that the national federation has mulled over the possibility of a franchise-based tournament for the sport in India.
The year 2023 brought glad tidings for the Indian squash players. The country hosted the Team Squash World Cup in June in Chennai, Tamil Nadu. Four months later, the Indian squash contingent clinched five medals at the 19th Asian Games in Hangzhou, China, including two gold medals in the men’s team and mixed doubles categories. Furthermore, the racquet sport confirmed its presence in the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics after a long-awaited recognition.
Unlike other racquet sports in the country, Squash is yet to have a franchise league of its own where the Indian players get the opportunity to rub shoulders with the best players in the world. Responding to the need for a country-based franchise league for squash, after the conclusion of the 79th National Squash Championship, Cyrus Poncha told Sportskeeda in an exclusive interview:
“It is something (franchise tournament) that we have been considering. There are a lot of pros and cons for doing such events. It is in the pipeline, so we are yet to finalize and see what happens.”
The recent National Championship witnessed the participation of 417 players across 26 Indian states in 11 events. The country found new champions in both men's and women's categories with Velavan Senthilkumar and teenager Anahat Singh taking the titles home. Speaking on the completion of the entire tournament in Chennai, Poncha said:
“It's been fabulous. Doing at this facility which has a state-of-the-art glass court. Seven courts overall so we had the luxury of doing this. The Indian Squash Triathlon Academy (in Chennai) has been in existence for 23 years now. Because we have done so many events over here, we know what needs to be done. It went off very smoothly and we are very delighted with that.”
Chennai has been the hotbed for the growth of Indian squash over the years and the Tamil Nadu capital has also hosted many prestigious tournaments in the sport, including mixed-team squash world cups and seven national championships.
Cyrus Poncha, who was the head coach of the Indian squash for close to two decades, credited former World Squash Federation president Narayana Ramachandran for establishing the Indian Squash Triathlon Academy in Chennai.
“Absolutely, it is (Chennai as the official hub of Indian squash). We do our major events here. We did the World Cup this year as well. Certainly, the amount of effort which has been put over here (is immense),” Cyrus said.
“The academy, since its inception, was the brainchild of Mr N Ramachandran. He's constantly supported this academy. Because of that we have really seen the growth of Indian squash. It's due to his efforts which he has put into squash over the last two and a half decades,” he added.
Cyrus further explained how the efforts have paid rich dividends in the popularity of the sport across the nation and unleashing talents from nook and cranny.
“This year at the Junior National Championship we got a winner from Jharkhand. We've had players from the Northeast participating as well. So squash is growing not only in numbers but the performance in these athletes as well. Squash is being spread across the country,” the SRFI secretary general said.
"It's been fabulous what they have done" - Cyrus Poncha on veteran Indian squash players' success
Saurav Ghosal, Joshna Chinappa, and Dipika Pallikal have made giant strides for two decades to endorse the game not just in the country but also stamp their authority on the global stage.
These players started in an era where sponsorship was scarce and they managed expenses from their own pockets to participate in overseas tours to gain exposure. Saurav (13 titles) and Joshna (19 titles) are also the leaders in the men's and women's categories in the national championships.
“These 3 reached the top 10 in the world. It's been fabulous what they have done. Certainly, this is a stepping stone for the likes of Velavan, Abhay Singh, Anahat, and Tanvi. They know it is possible for Indians to get there. They are definitely working towards it,” Cyrus spoke on the challenge for young Indian squash players ahead.
The Asian Games 2023 attracted more than millions of viewers in India with the broadcasting available both on television and online coverage. It was an apt platform for Squash to reach viewers who had never heard about the game previously. Cyrus attributed the coverage of the continental showpiece to the big eyeballs for squash.
“The biggest thing we had was TV coverage with the Asian Games this year and the Commonwealth Games last year. At previous Games, squash event was not even covered. Now it is covered and India went on to win in a cliffhanger with Pakistan. It was something memorable and a lot of people have watched it. So overall the awareness is there,” the 47-year-old concluded.
