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IMAGE: Saurav Ghosal celebrates after profitable the bronze medal within the males’s singles on the Commonwealth Video games on Wednesday. {Photograph}: Luke Walker/2022 Getty Photographs
Breaking a long-standing jinx, Saurav Ghosal on Wednesday claimed India’s first ever singles medal in squash — a bronze — on the Commonwealth Video games in Birmingham.
World No.15 Ghosal dominated the competition towards England’s James Willstrop, profitable 11-6, 11-1, 11-4 within the bronze play-off.
It was Ghosal’s second CWG medal, having gained a blended doubles silver with Dipika Pallikal within the 2018 Gold Coast version.
Ghosal, taking part in his fourth CWG, broke into tears after the play-off towards the previous world primary. The medal meant the world to him and it got here in most likely his final look at CWG.
“I am very very completely satisfied, it is a historic day for Indian squash. To have the ability to do that towards a participant of this calibre could be very particular. I am completely satisfied that in any case these years I’ve been in a position to win this,” Ghosal stated.
“This was one – a CWG singles medal – that was lacking from my assortment and I’ve performed three CWGs earlier than and to have the ability to pull by way of in my fourth try is much more particular. I needed to wait for therefore lengthy,” he added.
IMAGE: Saurav Ghosal routed former World No 1 James Willstrop of England in straight video games to win India’s first-ever singles medal in squash on the Commonwealth Video games. {Photograph}: Luke Walker/2022 Getty Photographs
The 35-year-old Ghosal proved too sturdy for his 38-year-old opponent who can also be on the fag finish of his illustrious profession. The Indian outclassed the Englishman in all points of the sport, from courtroom protection to placement of his pictures.
Incidently, Ghosal skilled below Willstrop’s father Malcolm in Pontefract for a few years.
“I wish to dedicate this to my grandfather who handed away in 2020, he was essential to me and my grandmother.
“And likewise to Malcolm, who handed away final yr. The participant I’m in the present day is due to him. I skilled with him for 10-15 years. I’ve practised with James so much as effectively.
“Taking part in James, it is like grasp vs apprentice. Since he misplaced yesterday there have been waves of feelings that I’ve been attempting to regulate in my head.”
Former nationwide coach and present group supervisor Cyrus Poncha, who watched Ghosal make historical past stated,” The primary recreation lasted 18 minutes and was actually intense. Ghosal being the youthful of the 2 was a lot stronger.
“I believed yesterday he performed even higher within the semifinals. Years of laborious work has led to this. It’s a nice day for Indian squash.”
Ghosal had misplaced the boys’s singles semi-final 3-0 (11-9, 11-4, 11-1) to New Zealand’s Paul Coll.
Earlier within the day, the blended doubles pair of veteran Joshna Chinappa and Harinder Pal Singh Sandhu progressed to the pre-quarterfinals.
The immensely skilled Chinappa and her associate Sandhu outclassed Sri Lanka’s Yeheni Kuruppu and Ravindu Laksiri 8-11, 11-4, 11-3.
The Indians had been a bit shaky initially and ended up conceding the primary recreation.
Nevertheless, they shortly turned issues round and made a robust comeback to bag the following two video games with out breaking a lot sweat.
Sunayna Kuruvilla additionally defeated Fung-A-Fats of Guyana within the ladies’s squash singles plate closing.
Sunayna downed her Guyanese opponent 11-7, 13-11, 11-2 in what turned out to be a cushty victory for the 23-year-old squash participant.
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