Awaiting the big day

Squash’s poster girl Dipika Pallikal is excited about her big day on August 18 when she will tie the knot with cricketer fiancé, Dinesh Karthik. “For every girl, it is an important day. More importantly, both our families are getting together and celebrating the big day. So, it’s nice that there is finally a celebration in the family,” said Dipika.

The squash star also said that dating another sportsperson is a good thing. “Dinesh and I complement each other. Because of the time spent in our respective sports and just the experiences we have had in our sporting careers, I think we can really help each other. I’m looking forward to the future,” she said.

Dipika, who is India’s top-ranked squash player, has been known for her stand on the issue of equal prize money for female sportspersons. “I have always been very, very vocal about what I think is right. I haven’t played in the nationals for four years because of my stance on equal pay. I still stand by it. The fight is not just for the money but for respect. We deserve equal respect as men and I don’t think it was ever about the money. If it were about the money, I wouldn’t be playing squash. I would have been playing tennis or golf. I had always been fighting for equal respect between men and women,” she said.

The need of the hour, feels Dipika, is to ensure equal prize money. “The British Open recently had equal prize money for both men and women. I think that is a step in the right direction. I hope the Indian federation follows it. In the last four years, there haven’t been any steps to increase the prize money. It has to start with the nationals,” she said.

Speaking about what’s lined up for the next few months, Dipika revealed, “At the end of August, I will be going to Australia and will be training there for a few weeks. My first tournament is in Macau.” She added, that marriage isn’t really going to change many things in the couple’s lives. “I think it is going to be what it has always been. I will carry on with my training and my tournaments. He will carry on with his career. I think we know that we have a few goals to achieve and tournaments to win. For me, my rankings are important and for him, he needs to get into the Indian team and perform really well. We are just going to take it as it comes. Our careers are way more important and that will always be our first priority,” she said.

Off the court, Dipika confessed that she’s passionate about fashion. “I like to go through fashion magazines and keep in touch with the fashion circle. My favourite designers are Arpita Mehta and Gauri and Nainika,” she said.