Her beaming face reflected her achievements. Sachika Ingale had just completed a task with resounding success. It was a warm morning in Chennai with early summer heat already making its presence known.
The courts at the Indian Squash Academy looked vacant. The morning session had ended and so also the match that Sachika had long waited for.
The Thiruvanthapuram born, Maharashtra girl who lives in Greater Noida in New Delhi needed to beat Chennai school girl Sunayna Kuruvilla in a selection trial for a berth in the Indian team for the forthcoming Asian Championship scheduled in Chinese Taipei. Months ago, the Sunaiyna had upstaged Sachika at the same venue to win a place in the Indian team for the South Asian Games in Guwahati.
Memories of that disappointing experience was fresh in her mind as Sachika, just back from an overseas tour, stepped onto the court. Despite a sore shoulder where in, Sachika said, she could hardly play a back hand, the young lady showed her grit to put that aspect behind and present a brave front to demolish the young rival's aspirations this time. “I had played to a plan,” she would say without eleborating but more with the conviction that she was never under pressure.
“On the previous occasion l had come after a break, the touch was not there,” she said, but this time she had come after being in the circuit and having played a few matches in the US and Canada. In fact playing in the professional circuit is what she believes added quality to her skills, though she hastened to add, she had a long way to go.
Born to a family where her father was in the Services meant squash would not be far away from her. Retired Group Captain Vijay Ingale was in the Indian Airforce, and a squash player himself for the Services team.
Not surprisingly, even as an eight-year-old, Sachika had been attracted to the racquet sport. She made a foray into badminton for a while because her brother had taken to that, but squash was what she finally decided on.
With Vijay as coach, her journey began early. Balancing studies and squash did not prove easy but Sachika never lost interest in the sport. She regularly participated in tournaments but what reflected her grit was when she began going abroad alone when still in her teens.
Participating abroad is expensive when self-funded.
Sachika managed and it can be said, aside from Joshna Chinappa and Dipika Pallikal she must be the most travelled woman squash player from India. But there the comparison has to end. For unlike her seniors, Sachika is still to break past the quarterfinal stage in tournaments but that has not discouraged her. Into her final month of completing her graduation now, Sachika has decided to give herself totally to squash after college!
Her idol is Joshna Chinappa and like her, Sachika too wants to get totally involved in the professional circuit which she entered three years ago. Currently ranked 87, she hopes to make new strides.
Sachika has never felt lonely going on her own to tournaments abroad. “Friends are there and then the organisers provide good help,” she said.
Her schedules have taken her to countries like the United States, Canada, Australia and South Africa. More than her travels, what she enjoyed was the experience. She had once gone to Pakistan also to Rawalpindi for a WSA Tour event last year and in her words, it was a “great experience. My mom was with me and we liked it despite all the security restrictions.”
Sachika knows for all her experience thus far the one return she crucially needs is good results. The fact that she has had no formal academy training does not bother her – the youngster has immense faith in her father. Now she also Engilish player Robert Downer on her team, helping hone her skills and mental strength.
The bubbly young player is also high on self-belief. So the season ahead should see her in a new light.
This time around, Ingale has not just family and well-wishers but new sponsors and support. Perhaps this will stand her well for better results in the future.
