Holding court in style

Saurav Ghosal, Joshna Chinappa and Ritwik Bhattacharya...they may not be household names yet but they have been instrumental in making India's presence felt on squash courts across the globe. And the Doha Asian Games confirms the fact that we have the talent to make it big on the international circuit.

While squash may be one of the most popular games at the club or amateur level, there are very few who have taken it up professionally. So far, you would find people queuing to play squash at local sports clubs but only with fitness in mind, but this is beginning to change. The racquet game is turning professional.

At the age of 20, Ghosal already has many plaudits to his name. He has been ranked the world number one junior and also became the first Indian to win the junior British Open squash title at Sheffield in early 2004. Last year, he notched up another first for himself and for the country by qualifying for the main draw of the British Open, even as his more illustrious compatriot Bhattacharya fell by the wayside.

Occasional bad days apart, 26-year-old Bhattacharya is probably the most successful squash player in the country "" hailed by many as one of the main flag bearers of the sport "" and is ranked number 41 in the world. He has been a five-time national champion and has been performing extremely well at the Professional Squash Association (PSA) events as well.

Bhattacharya turned professional almost eight years ago and has given hope to many others. Ghosal, who is ranked 46 in the world, had recently given a lot of credit to Bhattacharya for being a sort of mentor to him. No, that does not mean that there is no rivalry between the two, professionally speaking that is. While Ghosal may be an upcoming talent, it is still Bhattacharya who enjoys popular backing.

Says Manisha Malhotra, administrator, Mittal Champions' Trust, "Like most sports in the country, there is a lack of depth in squash as well but there is definitely talent." Mittal Champions' Trust has been supporting squash players like Chinappa and Dipika Pallikal.

Pallikal, who is just 16 years old, is being touted as the future of Indian squash. Says Anirban Das Blah, president Globosport, "Pallikal is a fantastic talent and has shown that if she keeps on working hard, results will definitely come her way." Ranked number one on the European circuit's junior level at the age of 15, she has shown that she has the mettle to do well. She may have lost the national championship to Chinappa but it certainly wasn't an easy victory.

Chinappa, who has been a national champion as well as one of the top ranked juniors in the world, has been consistently doing well in the international arena. She is ranked 38 in the world and has been called the Sania Mirza of Indian squash, only minus the endorsements!

All these players, and others of note, have been rewarded by the Indian government but the support which they get is not continuous. At the same time, corporate support in the game has been relatively poor compared to other sports. Mittal's Champions Trust, one of the few "patrons" of the sport, has not only been sending players to international coaching clinics but also facilitating their participation in international events. "Providing international exposure is one of the keys to make these players grow in the sport," says Malhotra.

"Organising more coaching clinics and offering support to the players can help the players achieve more in the sport," concurs Blah. While coaching camps are organised in cities, lack of good professional coaches has been a hindrance. This is another area where the game needs more professionals like Cyrus Poncha, who was also at the helm of the team which did well at the Doha Asian Games. The national coach has been training with the squash players for quite some time now.

Neither is squash limited to these four names. There are a few others, such as Ravi Dixit, Sandeep Jangra and Parth Sharma, who have been doing well at the junior level and have the potential to do even better. However, whether or not squash will take a clear lead over other racquet sports, like badminton, in the hands of these youngsters remains to be seen.