NEW DELHI: At the last
Commonwealth Games
in Glasgow four years ago, the Indian pair of Joshna Chinappa and Dipika Pallikal Karthik created history when they overcame the odds to upset the top-seeded English pair of Jenny Duncalf and Laura Massaro to win the squash women's doubles gold medal. This year, the pair – the only two women from India's seven-member squash contingent – would love to replicate their success.
ALSO READ: Know your CWG athlete: Sakshi MalikIn 2017, they settled for a bronze after going down to Duncalf and Alison Waters in the semi-finals of the WSF World Doubles squash championship. Joshna even triumphed in the Asian Squash Championships last year, to go with the 74th National Championships title. Hence, there is no shortage of confidence. Then again, what effect the resignation of former coach Achraf El Karargui, barely a month ahead of the 2018 Commonwealth Games to be held at Gold Coast City in Australia from April 4-15 could have, remains to be seen.
ALSO READ: Know your CWG athlete - Neeraj Chopra What bodes well for India, however, is the camaraderie between Joshna and Dipika. They two started out as 12-year-olds and have shown tremendous growth as doubles players.
Speaking to TOI last year, Joshna had said: "We have this unique case where even though we have to compete against each other, at the same time the next moment if we have to play for India, we are on the same page. Of course we have our ups and downs in the game but today we are at a place where we both have each other's back. We really want to do well for India and win medals for the country together. We had a great time at the World's doubles Championship where we won a bronze medal and we have great team work going on right now.”
Dipika will also be part of the mixed doubles event where she will be playing alongside Saurav Ghosal, a 12-time national champion who last month became the highest-ranked Indian squash player and took the 14th position.
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