Memorable day for Saurav Ghosal

By Our Special Correspondent

CHENNAI, NOV. 8. Winning is one thing but achieving it from a hopeless position is quite another. The Kolkata school boy, Saurav Ghosal had three times earlier fallen at the final hurdle and looked in line for another on Thursday but swung the game around for the under-17 title and a memorable finish in the India Cements-national sub-junior/junior squash championship at the SDAT-India Cements court here.

Two games down and his opponent, the top seeded Gaurav Nandrajog of Delhi looking unrelenting, it was a difficult situation to be in. The Lakshmipat Singhania Academy boy, who is just 15 years old, clawed back, clinching the next two games, all through sheer grit and self-belief.

Gaurav for once looked flustered that his younger opponent, hardly up to his shoulder could seize a love game (fourth) to restore parity in game scores. But when Gaurav raced to a 6-0 lead in the decider it seemed all over for Saurav. The young lad did not give up (``I never give up'', he said later). He ran around, found the returns and what is more rattled Gaurav to submission. He did not allow a winning opportunity to go waste this time around.

Equally noteworthy was the effort of Alisha Mashruwala, the Mumbai schoolgirl who beat top seed and local girl Divya Rajan for the under-17 title. For one who had in the previous years won the under-13 and under-15 titles this current win seemed a logical progress but to imagine that she is just 13 years, an eighth standard student of Bombay International school only makes her effort all the more creditable. Faster on the court and clever in stroke-selection, Alisha had the measure of the senior girl quite early.

Among the other finals, the two under-19s went on expected lines with Joshna Chinappa making short work of Rachita Vora.

In the boys' section the in-form Siddharth Suchde, the Edinburgh- based boy, though unseeded looked the favourite right from his first appearance. And so it proved to be against third seed Sahil Vora in the final. It is amazing for one just 16 years, Siddharth presented so many variations in his play and thereby underscore the strong foundation he has in the sport.

Test cricketer Sadagopan Ramesh was the chief guest and gave away the prizes. Mr. N.Ramachandran, President, Tamil Nadu Squash Rackets Association, earlier welcomed him.

The results (all finals):

Boys: Under-19: Siddharth Suchde (Mah) bt Sahil Vora (Mah) 9-0, 9-3, 9-2; Under-17: Saurav Ghosal (WB) bt Gaurav Nandrajog (Del) 5-9, 0-9, 9-7, 9-0, 9-6; Under-15: Sandeep Jangra (Mah) bt Fateh Singh (MP) 9-7, 9-2, 9-4; Under- 13: Naishad Lalwani (Mah) bt Jay Bhagat (Mah) 7-9, 9-6, 9-0, 9-5; Under-11: Ramit Tandon (WB) bt Ravi Dixit (Del) 9-0, 9-3, 9-3.

Girls: Under-19: Joshna Chinappa (TN) bt Rachita Vora (Mah) 9-2, 9-3, 9-2; Under-17: Alisha Mashruwala (Mah) bt Divya Rajan (TN) 9-1, 7-9, 9-5, 9-4; Under-15: Natasha Lall (Mah) bt Aditi Baweja (MP) 9-5, 10-8, 9-0; Under-13: Nikita Emanuel (Mah) bt Shibani Philip (TN) 9-1, 9-4, 9-5.

The winners of the India Cements-National sub-junior/junior squash championship with the chief guest, Test cricketer Sadagopan Ramesh and Mr. N. Ramachandran, President, Tamil Nadu Squash Rackets Association. From left (standing): Fateh Singh, Natasha Lall, Sandeep Jangra, Siddharth Suchde, Joshna Chinappa, Naishad Lalwani and Saurav Ghosal. Squatting: Nikita Emanuel, Alisha Mashruwala and Ramit Tandon.

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