R ARIVANANTHAM
CHENNAI, MAY 16
Joshna Chinappa, Abhay Singh and Velavan Senthilkumar shone brightly winning gold in their respective categories during the National Doubles Squash Championship, which was revived after 17 years, here on Wednesday.
Congratulations 🏆🏅to our Mens , Women’s and Mixed doubles winners of the HCL NATIONAL DOUBLES SQUASH CHAMPIONSHIP 13 to15 May 2024 Special Thanks to @hclforsports for taking up this fantastic initiative to uplift the doubles category. @indiasquash @HCLEnterprise @WorldSquash pic.twitter.com/8gMLTrx94D
— SRFI (@indiasquash) May 15, 2024
Abhay, the National Games gold medallist and national championship silver medallist, started the day well winning men’s doubles with Velavan, beating Rahul Baitha and Suraj Chand 2-0 (11-4, 11-8).
- The winners in this tournament will represent India in the Asian Squash Doubles Championship scheduled from July 4 to 7 in Johor, Malaysia.
- Abhay Singh and Velavan Senthilkumar win gold in the Men’s Doubles category
- Pooja Arthi and Rathika Seelan win gold in the Women’s Doubles category
- Abhay Singh and Joshna Chinappa win gold in the Mixed Doubles category
The 25-year-old added another gold to his kitty in the mixed doubles category soon. Abhay and Joshna Chinappa prevailed in a three-set thriller over the fancied Harinder Pal Singh Sandhu and Rathika Seelan 2-1 (10-11, 11-2, 11-9).
Pooja Arthi and Rathika overcame the challenge from Janet Vidhi and Nirupama Dubey to clinch the women’s doubles gold 2-1 (11-3, 9-11, 11-1).
“I have always been interested in playing in the doubles category. I thank HCL and SRFI for organizing this championship after a long time in India,” said Abhay.
“I have played with Velavan in the Commonwealth (Games), but this was my first time playing doubles with Joshna.
“It is such an honour to team up with her. I was sure I would win in both categories. It’s time to win gold at the Asian Doubles Championship in Malaysia,” he added.
HCL, a leading global conglomerate, along with the Squash Rackets Federation of India (SRFI), successfully concluded the HCL Nationals Doubles Championship held at the Indian Squash Academy, Chennai between May 13 – May 15, 2024.
The winners were felicitated by the Chief Guest Dr. Atulya Misra, the Additional Chief Secretary of the Tamil Nadu Government, and Thulasimathi Murugesan, the gold medallist from the Asian Para Games 2022, who was the guest of honor at the finale ceremony.
With India demonstrating prowess in doubles squash on the international stage last year during the Asian Games, HCL endeavored to capitalize on this momentum by reintroducing the Doubles Squash Championship. This exciting initiative pursued to breathe new life into the sport of squash and provided a platform for emerging talent to showcase their skills in doubles play.
Rajat Chandolia, AVP and Head of Brand at HCL was happy to witness the enthusiastic participation of squash players in the HCL National Doubles Championship. He congratulated all the winners and participants on their outstanding performance. He said, “HCL decided to revive this segment to support the Indian players after witnessing their recent success in the Doubles Championships internationally. HCL National Doubles Championship was the first event planned as a part of the Squash Podium Program 2024. Besides this, we have introduced several new activities such as the PSA Challenger Tournaments, High-Performance Camp for Asian & World Junior Championships, Referee Development Program, and Coach Development Program, all aimed at elevating the sport of squash to new heights.”
Cyrus Poncha, Secretary General, the Squash Rackets Federation of India (SRFI) said, “I am truly excited to see the renaissance of doubles squash in India, thanks to the mutual efforts of SRFI and HCL. It was truly thrilling to see the clashes between the double pairs. I believe that Indian Squash has a bright future and the stars of tomorrow will emerge from these events. Our association with HCL has been monumental for the sport and our combined efforts will continue to nurture talented players.”
