The Hindu : Sport / Squash : Joshna fails in final

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Wednesday, Jul 27, 2005

Sport

Sport - Squash

Joshna fails in final

CHENNAI: After raising hopes, all dreams lay shattered for top seed Joshna Chinappa. The only Indian girl to rise this high in the World junior squash championship, Joshna fell at the final hurdle at Herendals (Belgium) on Tuesday leaving Raneem El Weleily, the second seed, to annex the coveted title and keep the crown in Egypt itself. Raneem won 9-3, 9-4, 10-8.

On the last occasion, in 2003 in Cairo it was her country-mate Omneya Abdel-Kawi, another hugely talented player, now in the top 10 in the World women's ranking, who had bagged the title.

After the confident march up to the final, in keeping with the rigorous training she had had at Amsterdam and not losing even a single game till then, Joshna quite inexplicably just melted away when it mattered most.

"She played a bad game, committing several unforced errors to make things easy for the Egyptian," said her father Anjan Chinappa, quoting his wife Sunita, currently with Joshna in Belgium.

From the information available, this much was clear that the Indian had begun on a nervous note and never was in the picture in the initial stage. She did fight in the third game, when she led 8-3 but as they say, it was too late in the day. The game and match fizzled out from there.

"It is a sad finish", reacted Maj S. Maniam, the Consultant Coach of SRFI on hearing the news.

Nonetheless, he said, Joshna winning a silver medal itself is a big boost for squash in India. Nobody has achieved this honour earlier. Surely having left the junior scene now, Joshna looks a better-prepared player now as she takes on tougher challenge in the WISPA circuit. "Let us hope she will have some wonderful results, playing in the senior ranks too", he wished.

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