Chennai: Joshna Chinappa was just 16 when she made it to the quarter-finals on her maiden Asian Games appearance at Busan (South Korea) in 2002. Sixteen years on, the squash ace is still shouldering India’s hopes.
“It makes me feel ancient,” said Joshna of her impending fifth Asian Games, in Indonesia. “Unfortunately, I lost in the quarter-finals on all four previous occasions,” she added.
The Chennai woman is, however, one of the top contenders for the forthcoming edition. Joshna (world no.16) is the reigning Asian champion and is expected to be seeded no. 3 behind Malaysia’s Nicol David (world no. 9) and Hong Kong’s Annie Au (world no. 11).
“The realistic target is to justify my billing and take it from there. It may sound cliched, but I’m a firm believer in taking one match at a time. It’s going to be a strong field and matches will be tougher from round one,” added Joshna.
While Joshna is still searching for her first Games singles medal, Malaysian superstar Nicol would be eyeing a fifth gold on her sixth appearance. “She is a legend and a supreme athlete. She will be turning 35 this month and looks in great shape,” added Joshna, who recently beat the eight-time world champion at a Tour event in Egypt.
“It was my first win over Nicol in six meetings. It has given me a lot of confidence. I am looking forward to challenging her again,” said Joshna.
India grabbed a silver medal in the team event at the last edition in Incheon. Joshna said they would look to go a step further at Jakarta. “The team really depends on Dipika Pallikal and me. We have always played our heart out whenever we represented the country,” she said.As the professional squash tour took a mid-season break after the British Open in May, Joshna travelled to Bristol (England) for five-week training under English coach Hadrian Stiff. The Asian Games camp, organised by the Squash Rackets Federation of India, begins here on Friday. “SRFI has invited English pro Declan James to train with the Indian squad. He is expected to join us this weekend. It will be good to have him as a sparring partner,” she said.
India’s squash team is currently without a head coach since Achraf El Karargui’s unceremonious exit in March. The Egyptian had called the SRFI “unprofessional” before he left India ahead of the Commonwealth Games.Joshna said Indian squash needs a foreign coach. “I think it will be good to get someone from abroad; someone who has the experience of having worked with top players and someone who has played the sport professionally. It would be great if the coach is an ex-champion. Juniors as well as seniors need guidance in terms of help with the game and getting fresh ideas,” she added.
Where does she see herself in another four years, when the next edition of the Commonwealth and Asian Games are scheduled to be held? “I will still be representing the country. That’s the goal. But it all depends on how I take care of my body,” she said.
