Squash: HCL aims to create more players like Saurav Ghosal and Anahat Singh - Rajat Chandolia, Head of Brand

The WSF Squash World Cup concluded on June 17 with the powerhouse Egypt emerging as the champions by defeating Malaysia 2-1 in the final in Chennai. The World Cup was revived this year after last being held in 2011 in Chennai. It marked the first time that teams were fully gender-balanced, with two men and two women competing for each side.

Hosts India, who were seeded second, finished joint third with Japan after losing to Malaysia in the semi-finals. The Indian team comprised Saurav Ghosal, Abhay Singh, Joshna Chinappa and Tanvi Khanna in the showpiece event.

As many as 32 top players from 8 countries, including squash powerhouses like Egypt, Malaysia, Hong Kong (China), Australia, Japan, Colombia, South Africa and India were part of the marquee tournament.

The global competition was sponsored by IT giant, HCL - which has been hosting several international Squash tours in India. Mr Rajat Chandolia, Head of Brand HCL, in an exclusive interaction with MyKhel, spoke about the success of the Squash World Cup and the exciting developments in the Squash ecosystem in India.

Mr Chandolia also shed light on how HCL played a part in driving the progress of the niche sport, which has now piqued the interest of youth in the country and young talents are coming up in big numbers. Here are the excerpts:

Q: HCL sponsored the tournament. What were your preparations for the competition?

Ans: HCL supported the world cup by coming on board as a strategic partner and adding value through the experience of our long partnership with the sport. HCL has been a long supporter of the game of Squash and has been taking multiple initiatives to develop the squash ecosystem in India.

As the squash world cup is the biggest tournament for squash that has happened in India, HCL has taken the responsibility of making this tournament reach more and more people. It was the first time that a Squash tournament was live-streamed on an OTT platform. We made this tournament reach millions of people through social media and also through the on-ground promotion of the event.

Q: How has been the development of the squash ecosystem in India? Can you shed some light on HCL's pivotal role in driving this progress?

Ans: Squash in India has come a long way. It has moved from being just a recreational activity to a fast-growing sport. With greater exposure, it has gained a diverse following and is fast becoming popular. With India as the host of the WSF Squash World Cup, the ecosystem has levelled up.

As part of our ongoing focus on niche sports, and offering opportunities for emerging talent, we have supported Squash in India for over seven years. Our initiatives include PSA Tours, High-Performance Camps, Referee Clinics, Training Camps for coaches and other tournaments for India's Squash players as part of the HCL Squash Podium Program.

In collaboration with SRFI, we at HCL are committed to supporting and nurturing India's squash talent and enabling our players to bring home more accolades. The outstanding performance of our players during the Commonwealth 2022 stands testimony to the behind-the-scenes support extended to them.

Our multi-pronged program focuses on driving a 360-degree overhaul in Indian squash by providing the right support at every level to players, coaches & referees.

Q: India has emerged as the third-highest contributor to the global squash scene, trailing only Egypt and England. What are the reasons behind this?

Ans: There is growing interest and participation in the sport, fuelled by increased government support and infrastructure, the rise of talented Indian players, international exposure and an overall supportive ecosystem.

The collaborative public-private model adopted by SRFI and HCL has paved the way for the growth of the sport through the creation of a sustainable ecosystem.

International exposure for the players, camps for coaches and referees, tournaments for junior players, and equal & competitive prize money are some of the factors that have collectively contributed to India's emergence as the third-highest contributor to the global squash scene.

Q: There is an increase in the number of Indian players on the World Rankings. How will HCL improve the landscape of squash in India?

Ans: Through our ongoing initiatives, our goal has been to create world-class individual platforms that offer players opportunities and contribute towards enhancing their rankings. We will continue to provide equal support to both Junior as well as Senior categories and incubate emerging talent to help them emerge at the top.

Alongside this, we also plan to invest in grassroots talent across India to strengthen the talent pipeline and create opportunities for those with potential. Going forward, HCL aims to create more players like Anahat Singh and Saurav Ghosal.

Q: What is HCL doing to develop the grassroots talent for squash so that the talent pool increases?

Ans: HCL will work with SRFI to broad-base Squash and increase participation by identifying and nurturing untapped talent across the country. Through initiatives clubbed under the Squash Podium Program, talent at the grassroots level will be identified and nurtured through inter-school tournaments and local clubs.

As part of this initiative, HCL will support institutions to build squash courts, offer curriculum and technical support to institutions with existing squash courts, enhance coaching standards and ultimately reward players with ranking points and exposure to move to the top of their game. The goal is to be number one in the world in the coming years.