Hoping Indian squash players do well at LA2028: Ghosal

CHENNAI: In October last year, the squash fraternity across the country received the news that they were dreaming about, the sport had received a nod from the International Olympic Committee (IOC) to be featured at the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics.

Three-time Commonwealth Games medallist, Saurav Ghoshal opened up on the excitement regarding the news and said that he is wishing for a solid outing for squash on the biggest stage.

“This is something we’ve been working towards for the last 20 years. And when you have worked so hard for so long and then you finally get it, it tastes so much sweeter. It is a red-letter day for the sport of squash globally that we are into the Olympics. But I’m sure, with the athletes that we have at the world stage, we deserve that platform to showcase what we’re all about and hopefully, the Indian Squash squad will put on a great show in LA,” said Ghosal on the sidelines of the Bengaluru Torpedoes versus Mumbai Meteors match in the Prime Volleyball League happening in Chennai.

Meanwhile, Saurav, who stayed on throughout the game to cheer for the Torpedoes, also praised the league for providing a platform for the budding volleyball talent in the country. The league is currently in the closing stages of its third season, in Chennai. Over the years, prominent coaches like David Lee, Dragan Mihailovic, Shailen Ramdoo have joined to raise the caliber of the game and propel the careers of Indian volleyball players.

Speaking on the benefits, Saurav said, “I think it’s a great initiative, the league is popularizing a sport which hasn’t probably gotten the recognition that it deserves considering how difficult this sport is. Having legends like David Lee inspires not just the players, but also the people and the kids watching. And it’s brilliant to see them imparting their knowledge, wisdom, and experience to the Indian players and it’s a great opportunity for the Indian players to learn from them in this kind of window, and hopefully take Indian volleyball to the next level and make our country proud on the world stage.”

The Asian Games was a testament to the progress imbued by the Prime Volleyball League with the likes of Santosh, Guru Prashant, Ashwal Rai, Vinit Kumar etc making a mark on the big stage after impressive performances in the league. The team finished sixth but showed great promise for the future, paving the way for youngsters to bloom and take the upcoming Asian Games and, possibly, Olympics by storm.