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The Indian squash campaign in the XXth Commonwealth Games in Glasgow is being spearheaded by stalwarts Sourav Ghosal, Dipika Pallikal and Joshna Chinappa, as they aim to win the first medal for the nation in the sport in the CWG.
Before the Games even started, controversy surrounded the team as long-time national coach Cyrus Poncha was excluded from the tournament. This move came as a surprise to many as he had traveled with the team to the Asian Championships held in Hong Kong only last month.
The team is currently being coached by Malaysian Subramanium and Bhuvneshwari Kumari, as the players seek to put the absence of Poncha behind them when they take the field.
Men’s singles event
The men's team finished third in the Asian Championships last month and much was expected of them.
Fourth seed Bengal’s Sourav Ghosal went to the Games to better his bronze medal which he won at the Doha Asian Games in 2006. The first Indian to reach the quarterfinals of the World Squash Championships last year got off to a flying start by winning the first two matches in straight sets to reach the pre-quarters, where he defeated Australian Steve Finitsis in a hard fought game lasting five sets.
Ghosal became the only Indian to reach the men’s semifinals at the Games when he defeated Grayson from New Zealand in another five setter, only to lose the next match to eventual silver medalist England's Willstrop. The World number 16 also lost to Peter Barker in the bronze medal match and had to return home without a medal in the singles category.
The other two Indians in the men's singles campaign Mahesh Mangaokar, the youngest player to win a title, and Harvinder Pal Sandhu, World number 70, both got byes in the first round, and lost in the round of 16.
Men's doubles camapign
This is the first time the doubles event is being held in the Commonwealth Games. Ghosal partnered Sandhu in the doubles where they finished second in the group behind Wales, losing to Scotland in the pre-quarters. Both the players are however alive in the mixed doubles campaign, where Dipika is partnering Ghosal and Chinappa is playing alongside Sandhu.
Women's singles
The women players had won their respective games in the 2012 Asian Squash Team championships to give india the gold and finished third this year, and much was expected of them.
Sixth seed Dipika Pallikal, playing her first CWG, having missed the Games in Delhi in 2010 due to fever, did not live up to expectations when she lost to England's Allison Waters in the quarters, after getting a bye in the first round and winning the next two matches in straight sets. The only Indian in the top 10 has expressed disappointment with the outing and hopes to better her record in the Icheon Asian Games later this year.
Coming back from an injury layoff, Joshna Chinappa started the year with a bang by winning her first WSA title in February. She could not carry on this form, however, losing in the third round.
Anaka Alankamony too made an early exit in the second round, marking an end to India's campaign in the singles event.
Women's doubles
Dipika and Chinappa became a force to reckon with in the doubles event when they defeated world number 1 Malaysian Nicol David and Low Wee last month in the tri nation series in Malaysia. They proved the win wasn't a fluke when they upset the duo again at the ongoing Games 11-8, 11-5. David retained her singles title at the Games and the win against the top seeds would have done the Indian pair a world of good as they look to come home with a medal.
Mixed doubles campaign
Dipika followed her women's doubles triumph in Malaysia last month with a mixed doubles title with Ghosal. The fifth seeds finished on top of the table in Group E and will hope the pair of Sandhu and Joshna join them in the pre-quarters.
Looking ahead to the Asian Games
The experienced Indians have had a mixed outing at Glasgow so far. They blame the absence of Poncha for their early exits in the singles events and are hopeful he will be around in Korea. Ghosal is one player who would have benefited from his advice in the semifinals. "We were playing for the nation and he could have given us moral support. We look forward to his return in the Asian Games", said the ace player.
Chinappa has learnt from her errors and promises to be more aggressive in Korea, where the players will resume their hunt for a medal in the much-cherished singles category.
