Taking it to the court

Kochi: The last few years have been a good period for squash in India. Ever since Joshna Chinnappa became the first Indian girl to win the British Championship title in 2003 in the under-19 category, sports enthusiasts in India were given a face, and a star as well, to relate to when a seemingly lesser known sport needed to be discussed.

Bringing squash to the forefront
With the likes of Sourav Ghosal and Deepika Pallikal joining the constellation, Joshna too feels the sport is in a popular phase in the country. “I find that people are talking about it now and things have really changed from the time I began playing. More youngsters are coming into it.”
 

On the Arjuna Award
Achieving her highest ranking of 25 in 2013, and also breaking into the top rung of sportspersons in the country by winning the Arjuna Award, she has mixed feelings for the year just gone by.

“Receiving an Award from the President of the country was the highlight of 2013, but I wanted to achieve more in terms of my game and my rankings. I’m glad I was able to train much better in 2013 and I’ve also begun training with Raja Mani, and I expect to play much better this year.”

There’s scope for more
The Arjuna Award was a huge personal achievement, she grants, but it does not make up though for the want of government support for the sport.

“There is a need for players to be attracted to play the sport for its growth. Only when the number of players increases will the number of spectators increase. The government can most surely promote the sport, it can help by building a strong foundation for the game through training and infrastructure,” says Joshna.

Namma Chennai has become the country’s capital when it comes to the sport and Joshna too agress to add, “I still get to see a lot kids from all parts of the state moving to Chennai to pratise and train for the sport. For me, I couldn’t have asked for more as it’s great to train in the same city you call home.”

The way ahead for 2014

Asked about her goals for 2014, she says, “I want to break into the top 15 this year.  I also want to defeat more players ranked below 10. There are also the Asian Games and the Commonwealth Games happening this year and we are surely aiming for gold. Even for the sport, 2014 is expected a to be good year and we’re all looking forward to it.”

Talent hunt in India

Talent hunt in India

DC CORRESPONDENT

The English Premier League side West Bromwich Albion is on a talent hunt in India and will be at the Ambedkar Stadium in Delhi on January 18.

The event as part of WBA foundation programme in association with youth football international is claimed to scout, train and develop talents in India. The Albion trainers will also be training and monitoring kids at the American embassy school turf from January 19 to 25.