Mumbai: It has been years and still going strong. It is all because of the commitments and dedication the people concerned have shown in keeping this championship, the 4th NSCI All India Open (Junior and Senior) Squash Tournament 2019, alive and kicking and once again we are salivating over the prospects of all those involved in this the 4th incarnation of the squash tournament that goes back to 2015, at the same venue.
This year it will see a new chapter, as most of the players will get a baptism in playing in a glass court. This is a treat just not for the players, but the spectators as well. “We are proud that we have kept the flag fluttering, and more importantly this year we will have in the players rubbing shoulders against opponents inside a glass court,” said Rakesh Jain, an official at the venue who is spearheading the proceedings of the championship.
The installation of the glass court could cost Rs one crore, and this one which has been installed has been hired from Go Sports, and maybe in years to come the club could have a glass court of this kind its own. Pakistan’s legend Jahangir Khan has a trophy cabinet that few other players have come close to matching. He is better known as the Mozart of the game.
And when it is women it is, Nicol David, the undisputed queen of this game. She has retired from the active game of squash. At just 5ft 4in tall Nicol David may be diminutive in size, but her stature and legacy within the women’s squash scene are one of the epic proportions. Over 300-odd juniors and seniors will vie for top honours in this five-day championship which kicks off from tomorrow at the National Sports Club of India (NSCI) in Worli in the city. There are various age groups in the contest which has over Rs 6 lakh as prize money in the offing.
Meanwhile, Abhishek Pradhan and Urwashi Joshi, both of Maharashtra have been given the pride of place in the men’s and women’s events respectively. This five-day tournament is being organised by NSCI with LIC of India as the co-partner and will be conducted under the auspices of SRFI. The sixth-ranked Indian, Pradhan, is followed by Abhishek Agarwal also of Maharashtra as the second seed. Naveen Jangra of Services and Rahul Baitha are the joint third and fourth seeds. In the women’s draw, India’s second-ranked Joshi tops the seeding list ahead of sixth-ranked Sachika Balvani also from Maharashtra. Madhya Pradesh’s Radhika Rathore and Maharashtra’s Sanika Choudhari are jointly seeded third and fourth.