Squash: Joshna aiming to be among top 15 ranks

Chennai, July 17: India's women squash icon of this generation, Chennai girl Joshna Chinappa is back on her home turf amidst her endeavour to raise rankings in the international arena.

Joshna, who had been at loggerheads with Squash Rackets Federation of India (SRFI) several times, said her misunderstanding with SRFI have been sorted out. ''Mr Ramachandran (SRFI secretary general) has assured all support to me. They have asked me to train at the Academy whenever I am here,'' she told UNI.

Joshna also had a word of praise for the good works the Federation has been doing for the growth of the sport. ''They are doing something good. I can see this here'', she added.

Joshna, who had been the Senior National Women's Champion four times in a row since 2003, will be defending her crown in the National Championship which began here today at the India Cements Squash Academy. ''I am now focusing on breaking into the top 15'', Joshna said.

She said, right now her aim was also to win a WISPA title (Professional Squash Association).

Joshna said to break into the top 15 in the world, one has to win big tourneys. ''You have to play solidly to get to the top 15,'' she said adding in this pursuit of her, she would be participating in two tournaments, one in Malaysia and the other in Singapore next week, where the world top ten women players would be vying for honours.

Joshna said, however she has to get into the main draw through the qualifying round in these two competitions.

She also recalled that the high point in her effort to raise her world ranking this year, were her victories over World No 22 and World No 24 in a tournament in the United States in January. She said, she beat the player ranked 22 down 1-3.

Joshna said she was currently training with an English coach Malcom Winstrov and would go back to train under him in August. Asked about her new coach, she said, ''he is strict, has strong emotions and he expects his ward to behave on the court''. She would be training under Malcom in England for two months. ''He expects his ward to play really well. I am wary of him.'' Asked about the finer points that Malcom had taught her so far, she said ''he finetuned my game again. He gives me simple strategies about winning a match.'' Asked if she would play hard to defend her title in the National this year too, Joshna, who first won the title in 2001 and created a record of becoming the youngest woman national champion in any sport, said ''of course I will''.

Asked if she thought that she was far ahead of the players in fray in the current National Championship she said, ''I know they are all in the age group of not above 18. But that does not mean that it won't be hard for me. I will not take any player lightly,'' she said

UNI