No authorities from squash Racquets Federation came to airport to receive the girls
CWG squash gold medalists Dipika Pallikal and Joshna Chinappa pose with their medals in Chennai on Tuesday (Photo: AP)
Chennai: The Chennai airport always wears a festive look whenever a triumphant sportsperson returns home. But startlingly it wasn’t the case when Joshna Chinappa and Dipika Pallikal arrived on Tuesday morning. The reception accorded to the Commonwealth Games squash doubles gold medallist was at best, lukewarm.Chennai is the headquarters of the Squash Racquets Federation of India, but no one from the sports body was in attendance to receive the girls who made history by winning the country’s first squash medal, at Glasgow. It was a significant achievement as the Commonwealth Games is the biggest multi-sport event for squash.
Only a handful not more than a dozen gathered outside the arrival hall to greet the champions with garlands and bouquets. While a majority of them were family members, a few boys and a couple of coaches from a squash academy made up the numbers. It would have been even more embarrassing hadn’t family members arranged garlands at the last minute.
The federation’s inability to organise a reception was stark contrast to Tamil Nadu chief minister J. Jayalalithaa’s spontaneous reward of Rs 50 lakh each to the champions.The two girls, however, were energy personified as they posed for onlookers’ mobile cameras before quietly making their way home.
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