Build on the success earned. This could well be the motto of the Squash Federation of India after the way the juniors have kindled hopes of a grand future for the sport in the country.
What began in 2011 when Mahesh Mangaonkar, Abhishek Pradhan, Ramit Tandon and Vrishab Kotian set up a historic win over Pakistan in the final of the Asian junior team championship in Colombo, was repeated again this year in Hong Kong, thanks to Velavan Senthilkumar, Abhay Singh, Ranjit Singh and Aryaman Adik.
What was interesting about the two occasions was that the team honours had been the culmination of a run of successes. In 2010, Ravi Dixit and Dipika Pallikal had each won the Asian individual U-19 titles just six months prior to the team event, and this time the cynosure of all eyes in the squash fraternity was Velavan Senthilkumar.
Not only did he win the Asian junior title but he heralded the New Year by bagging the U-19 British junior Open title and then carried India to title-triumph a month later in the Asian championship.
In a way, the 'hat-trick' that Velavan struck can be considered a unique performance in the history of Indian squash. What this Chennai southpaw has achieved is a dream finale to his 'junior' career. Can there be a better way to signal his preparedness for the tougher senior professional circuit from here?
It is a different matter that, like more juniors in the transition period, who are struck by the dilemma of higher studies (read overseas), Velavan too is no exception. If excellence in squash can fetch an inenviable study programme in some of the most sought after universities in the US, then why would a player of class not grab that opportunity?
Also read: India wins team gold medal at Asian Junior Squash Championships
The country has lost many a good player in the past but sometimes, it can also be a boon for the player. Consider Vikram Malhotra, who found his way to America via squash, tuned his game along with studies, and returned a mature young man.
He is one of the sparkling fresh names that is been bandied about at the national level now. Vikram is currently the next highest internationally ranked player, after Saurav Ghosal, for India. So Velavan has an enthusiastic senior for inspiration.
But for the moment, what is key to Indian squash's future is that there is hope that talented players like Velavan or Abhay or Ranjit may not be an exception but the order in India. As the national coach Cyrus Poncha said, three years ago the Federation decided on having a national junior ranking system in place and that has effectively improved the participation level in tournaments.
New tournaments have also sprung up, thanks to interest shown by clubs and business groups, and that meant the competitive spirit has been on the rise. Increased competition has contributed to rising standards and what is more, there are now a clutch of players, and not just one or two, in certain age categories, who can each outplay the other on a given day.
In effect, as Poncha was to state, in the boys U-17 section and girls U-15, “we have such good quality talent that each tournament can spring a surprise winner. We saw it in the junior and sub-junior national in Indore where the hot favourite Tushar Shahani was dislodged by a relative new-comer, Saksham Choudhary.”
What this added up to, as the national coach said, is that there are more numbers to choose from to shape the national team. This is the kind of scene that rules in Egyptian squash. Additionally, there would be any number of players to fall back on in the event of an emergency.
This is pertinent after the recent experience in the just-concluded Asian junior team championship, where the girls squad had to be re-constituted after the top three players – Sunayna Kuruvilla, Akanksha Salunkhe and Ashita Bhengra – withdrew for various unavoidable reasons.
Also read: The all conquering Velavan Senthilkumar
The new look and inexperienced team comprising Nikita Joshi, Vedika Arun, Sanya Vats and Aishwarya Bhattacharya, however, still did well to finish 6th overall.
It is no co-incidence that a big role in India's steep rise in standards has been the Indian Squash Academy in Chennai. The three players who shone in the Asian Championship are from the ISA.
Mr N. Ramachandran, Patron, SRFI and the man who visualised and made ISA a reality, said while congratulating the players for the happy tidings, “It is such successes which pushes me to give more and more to the Academy.”
With Achraf El Karugui, the Egyptian coach in place, and already making a difference to the players' mental attitude, there are better days ahead for Indian squash. Good work can never go unrewarded.
Already the Petroleum Sports Board have taken an interest in including squash on their sports list. Similar gestures from other corporates would pave the way for not only making squash the mega sport it richly deserves to be, but also help players in settling down to a bright future.
