Good day for Indians

By S. R. Suryanarayan

CHENNAI, FEB 17.The first day is not for established juniors from the leading nations like Pakistan and Malaysia. However it was a day when the Indians returned happy with everyone in the boys and girls sections crossing the first hurdle in the Asian junior squash championship on Saturday.

The virtues of systematic training were vivid in the Indian exhibition. None providing the punch more than Sahil Vora, a 16- year Mumbai schoolboy. Sahil of course had the toughest match of the lot but the significant aspect was the way he countered the opposition and in the end seized the honours. His opponent was the Hong Kong under-17 champion Patrick Choi Tung Yin, a tall and wiry lad who showed, in the first game, his ability to come up with explosive shots around. Sahil was foxed in that opening stanza. ``Nervous'', he was to tell later because of being his maiden appearance in an Asian championship.

But once the contest warmed up Sahil improved on his mobility and showed his retrieving strengths. Points went neck and neck for a while and after repeated `handouts' Sahil edged ahead and Patrick tired out. ``I thought my player did well but failed at crucial stages. The Indian had the home advantage'', the Hong Kong coach Tony Choi was to explain later.

The other Indians to figure were Abhimanyu Jain, Sourav Ghosal, Varun Kataruka and Neerav Tomar and in the girls section, who had it easier, Vaidehi Reddy, Rhea Bhandare, Rachita Vora and Divya Rajan took the court. Joshna Chinappa had a rest day.

The championship was inaugurated by Mr. V.K. Malhotra, MP and Vice President, IOA in the presence of Tamil Nadu Revenue Minister, Mr. Rehman Khan. Mr. N. Ramachandran, Secretary- General, SRFI welcomed the gathering.

The results: Boys: I round: Anson Kwong Yu Shun (HK) bt Goh Kobayashi 9-2, 9-2, 9-1; Saurav Ghosal (Ind) bt Yong Min You (Kor) 9-5, 9-5, 9-4; Zeyad Tareq Al-Owayesh (Kuw) bt Jayanath Marambe 9-5, 9-0, 9-5; Masud Rana (Ban) bt Eyad A. Hussain Mirza (Bah) 9-2, 9-2, 9-2; Ahmed Fayez Marzouk (Kuw) bt Ala Harb (Jor) 8-10, 9-0, 9-3, 9-4; Kavin Jayawardena (SL) bt Sopon Parve (Ban) 9-7, 2-9, 9-0, 10-8; Ali Reza Sanaei (Irn) bt Taro Sakamaki (Jap)10-8, 9-1, 9-6; Varun Kataruka (Ind) bt Bader Ibrahim Al- Hussaini (Kuw) 7-9, 9-2, 9-4, 9-6; Dick Lau Siu wai (Hk) bt Adi Adallat (Jor) 9-0, 9-2, 9-7; G. Benson Seow Teng (Sng) bt Eranga Amunagama (SL) 9-5, 9-7, 3-9, 3- 9, 9-5; Seung Jun Lee (Kor) bt Dual Uddin Rana (Ban) 9-6, 9-4, 9- 0; Md. Delwar Hossain (Ban) bt Emad A. Hussain Mirza (Bah) 9-0, 9-0, 9-3; Abhimanyu Jain (Ind) bt Yuji Tsuchiya (Jap) 9-1, 9-0, 9-0; Gong Yu Zhi (Sng) bt Mohammed Hossein Sanaei (Irn) 9-1, 9- 6, 9-3; Jeung Gyu Park (Kor) bt Eranjan Kempitiya (SL) 9-0,9-0,9- 0; Sahil Vora (Ind) bt Patrick Choi Tung Yin (HK) 6-9, 9-3, 9-5, 9-5; Ali Tabballat (Jor) bt Chan Jonathan (Sng) 9-0, 9-0, 9-0; Mohd Yaqquib Ghuloom Hajiyah (Kuw) bt Sunsuke Sugawara (Jap) 9-1, 9-0, 9-0; Kwa Darius (Sng) bt Khalid Khalil Shaheen (Bah) 9-0, 9- 0, 9-3; Michael Chiu Ho Mng (Hk) bt Kyle Coenraad (SL) 9-1, 9-2,9-3; Dong Woo Kim (Kor) bt Rashed Said Al Samahiji (Bah) 9-0, 9-1, 9-0.

Girls: I round: Connie Choie Man Shan (Hk) bt Saturi Yamada (Jap) 9-1, 9-1, 9-1; Sally Looi (Mal) bt Mi Na Park (Kor) 9-0 9-0, 9-1; Frances Ho Mayee (Hk) bt Rsansi Lankage (SL) 9-0, 9-2, 9-0; Vaidehi Reddy (Ind) bt Eun Chan An (Kor) 9-0, 9-0 9-0; Tan Pei Qi (Sng) bt Eriko Chiba (Jap) 9-1, 9- 3, 9-5; Ayako Ozaki (Jap) bt Menusha Hetharachhi (SL) 9-3, 9-1, 8-10, 9-1; Gwong Hui Xian (Sng) bt Chika Yamamoto (Jap) 9-0, 9-0, 9-6; Rhea Bhandare (Ind) bt Natalie So Tsz Lui (HK) 9-0, 9-0, 9- 5; Teng Ooiean (Mal) bt Kor Kar Yan (Sng) 9-2, 9-2, 9-0; Rachita Vora (Ind) bt Tehani Guruge (SL) 9-0, 9-0, 9-1; J. Goh Mui Yen (Sng) bt Madara Dayasiri (SL) 9-6, 9-3, 9-2; Divya Rajan (Ind) bt Mi Ran Kim (Kor) 9-0, 9-0, 9-0.

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