The Hindu : Sport / Squash : In pursuit of excellence in PSA circuit

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Wednesday, Jul 21, 2004

Sport

Sport - Squash

In pursuit of excellence in PSA circuit

By S.R. Suryanarayan

CHENNAI, JULY 20. Two players, two generations and one common trait: to excel. Saurav Ghosal and Mohamed Essam A Hafiz represent the modern look of the game of squash.

One still a junior (Ghosal), a champion player at that and the other (Hafiz), ten years his senior and a seasoned professional seeking higher performance levels in the PSA circuit.

There the similarity ends for the clean-shaven Hafiz, an Egyptian. He has a monk-like devotion to the game, while the Indian junior Ghosal is a typical 17-year-old who can be playful even in the serious business of achieving goals.

Just hours after landing in the city for the PSA Chennai-ICL Open super-satellite tournament, Hafiz did not waste time but headed for the TNSRA courts to work out and who does he meet there but Ghosal himself!

Hafiz had only heard of Ghosal, the reigning British junior open champion, but looked impressed after playing with him.

"He looks good," was his first assessment on the Indian and sure enough if everything goes, he will only make him better.

For, Hafiz has plans to stay back after the Chennai tournament to share his experience with the Indian players preparing for the World junior championship in Pakistan next month.

But Hafiz, who is based in Qatar and represents the Gulf country in tournaments, has to keep the good momentum picked up at the previous tournament in France going.

After being in the PSA circuit for seven years, he won his first title in France in the Chartres Open beating a Dutch, Laurens Jan Anjema.

The Chennai tournament has come straight after that. Interestingly, he had beaten the French player Arcucci, the top seed here, there at the quarterfinal stage. Any surprise then if Hafiz has been quick to come to the court!

Squash has been the only interest for this lanky Egyptian. Nothing else attracts his curiosity.

Having played some of the top contemporary players like David Palmer and Jonathan Power, Hafiz is experienced and has risen to a personal high of 44 last year.

"To come within top 30" is his current goal and towards that end, the Chennai Open has a special significance for him. As it is for Ghosal, who believes coming within the top 100 from his present 141 would be a major step forward in his career.

Meanwhile the qualifying phase ended with all four qualifiers being Indians: A. Parthiban, B. Balamurugan, Vikas Jhangra and Siddarth Suchde. Only one foreigner _ Vivian Rahmanan of Singapore _ was in the fray in the qualifying round but he was beaten by local boy A. Parthiban.

The results: (qualifying phase, final round):

A. Parthiban bt V. Rahmanan (Sing) 9-15, 15-10, 15-9, 11-15, 15-12; B. Balamurugan bt Sandeep Jhangra 15-12, 15-12, 15-8.

Vikas Jhangra bt Harinder Pal Singh 15-11, 12-15, 15-12, 15-12; Siddarth Suchde bt Imran Khan 15-8, 15-5, 15-5.

A. Parthiban bt V. Rahmanan (Sing) 9-15, 15-10, 15-9, 11-15, 15-12; B. Balamurugan bt Sandeep Jhangra 15-12, 15-12, 15-8. Vikas Jhangra bt Harinder Pal Singh 15-11, 12-15, 15-12, 15-12; Siddarth Suchde bt Imran Khan 15-8, 15-5, 15-5.<137>

Printer friendly page
Send this article to Friends by E-Mail

Sport