HCL Squash doubles championship: Abhay, Velavan win doubles title, Joshna finishes strong

CHENNAI: The HCL Nationals Doubles Championship, held at the Indian Squash Academy in Chennai, came to a close with top seeds clinching championships and setting the course for the Asian Doubles Championship in Malaysia in July.

Abhay Singh and Velavan Senthilkumar won the gold in the men’s doubles championship with a scoreline of 2-0. Pooja Arthi and Rathika Seelan claimed the women’s gold with a final score of 2-1, while Abhay Singh and Padma Shri Awardee Joshna Chinappa, who was playing her first tournament since her knee surgery late last year, outshone Arjuna Awardee Harinder Pal Sandhu and Rathika to win the mixed-doubles title.

The mixed doubles final drew the largest crowd, with a packed house turning out to witness seasoned stars Joshna and Harinder go against each other, with top seed Abhay and up-and-coming Rathika on their sides. It was an evenly matched game from the start, with Harinder and Rathika pushing hard to win the first game, only to be outplayed in the second game by Joshna and Abhay, who toppled them with a scoreline of 11-2. With both teams tied at 1-1, the third game served as the decider.

Harinder and Rathika started strong but couldn’t hold onto the early lead. Joshna’s experience proved too strong for young Rathika midway through the match. Both teams pushed each other to their limits, going back and forth, and Harinder’s shot at the very end on the tin helped Abhay and Joshna claim the championship.

Looking forward to Asian Doubles: Joshna

It was Joshna Chinappa’s first tournament since her knee surgery six months ago, and she definitely made a mark by clinching the mixed doubles championship with Abhay Singh. Joshna reflected on how it seemed nearly impossible for her to come back on the court again, but she heaped praise on her surgeon and physios who had helped her brave the post-surgery process and come back strong. “When I heard this tournament was happening, I was quite excited to see if I could be fit enough to play. Literally three days ago, my physio said that I can get on court, but not to push myself too hard, and I probably heard just the first part of it,” said Joshna, speaking to the media after the final. Rathika Seelan and Asian Games gold medallist Harinder Pal Sandhu gave Joshna and Abhay a run for their money, pushing the match to its edge and falling short by two points. Reflecting on Rathika’s performance, who’s up-and-coming, Joshna said, “Rathika played really well, honestly surprised me. She was very attacking and aggressive, and that’s the way you’ve got to be when you are playing any player, and credit to her. It went down to the wire.” Joshna also added that she’s looking forward to the Asian Doubles Championship in July, and she wants to focus on getting completely fit and ready for that. “I’d love to play for India again; playing for India was one of my goals coming back from the surgery,” she added.