Joshna revels in Asian title success
India’s highest-ranked squash player, Joshna Chinappa, says winning her maiden Asian Championship title at home is the “biggest achievement” of her singles career.
Joshna edged long-time team mate Deepika Pallikal in a close battle in Chennai on Sunday. Together, they won the 2014 Commonwealth Games doubles gold in Glasgow.
Joshna was quoted as saying, “I am first a singles player so this surely is one of the highlights of my career. The Commonwealth doubles gold was huge for both of us and now to win the Asian crown at home is extremely special.”
The title will augur well for Joshna ahead of the Commonwealth and Asian Games next year.
Joshna, who turned professional in 2003, has achieved multiple firsts in the last one year. The 30year-old broke into the world’s top-10 in July 2016 and days before crowned the Asian champion, she reached the World Championship quarter-finals in Egypt, becoming the second Indian to do so after Pallikal.
“Though I have been playing better than ever the last two years, I feel I can bring out more out of my game.
“It is time I start beating the top-five players regularly, perform in big events,” said Joshna, who is currently ranked 14th.
Prior to the final in Chennai, Pallikal had beaten Joshna thrice including the senior nationals.
About playing Deepika, Joshna said, “It is tough to be honest. There are no secrets out there. We travel on tours together and train at the academy in Chennai at least couple of times a week.
“But more than knowing each others’ game, it is mentally tougher to play your compatriot, it is a lot more emotional as well. I am glad this time there was no pushing and shoving. It was all fair,” she said on a lighter note.
“All three of us in fact (including leading men’s player Saurav Ghosal) train and travel together.”
She had good word for national coach Ashraf El Karagi of Egypt, who took charge in March. “It has been helpful to have him around. He understands my game well, what I need to do at a particular juncture of the match and advises me accordingly. Plus, he is travelling with us on the tour and therefore is able to rectify our mistakes instantly,” she said.