CHENNAI: After a gap of over three years, Dipika Pallikal will be making a return to the circuit after she was named in the Indian team for the WSF World doubles squash championships to be held in Glasgow from April 5-9.
The 31-year-old, who took a break from the sport in 2018 and welcomed twins last year, has been training for the last couple of months. Dipika last featured in the US Open, a PSA Platinum Tour event, at Philadelphia in October 2018.
Dipika will be partnering with the seasoned Joshna Chinappa in the women’s doubles and have the company of Saurav Ghosal in the mixed doubles category at the tournament.
“Dipika has been training hard and working on her game in the last couple of months. With not much doubles events happening over the last couple of years due to the Covid-19 pandemic --- we have picked this team based on past performances,” Cyrus Poncha, secretary general of SRFI (Squash Rackets Federation of India), told TOI. The men’s doubles team will have Vikram Malhotra teaming up with Ramit Tandon. Vikram will be pairing with Joshna in the mixed doubles category as well.
This will be the first assignment for newly-appointed coach Chris Walker. “The players are in high spirits ahead of the worlds, excited to be preparing for this major event and the coming year of events back on the calendar. Dipika is in great shape and hitting good form, which is perfect. She brings tremendous experience to the team and we will be going to Glasgow looking forward to competing and with confidence that we will produce some of our best squash there,” Walker told TOI.
Squad: men’s doubles: Vikram Malhotra, Ramit Tandon; women’s doubles: Joshna Chinappa, Dipika Pallikal; Mixed doubles: Saurav Ghosal, Dipika Pallikal; Vikram Malhotra and Joshna Chinappa.
Selection trials for CWG & Asiad in April: Selection trials will be held in April to pick players for the Commonwealth Games in Birmingham and Hangzhou Asian Games. “We will have a camp cum selection trials for all players in Chennai in April. The squad for CWG and Asian Games will be picked during that time,” said Cyrus.
