‘My dad encouraged me to be innovative’

“My father has always been fond of squash and he encouraged me to be innovative. He sowed the seeds and I picked up from there on,” said Gitanjali.

The 12-year-old, whose interest for the sport unfolded when she was barely eight, is presently ranked third in Squash Rackets Federation of India rankings for Girls in the Under-13 category. She outclassed all her opponents in two of the six tournaments she participated in this calendar year. Gitanjali has set her sights on being a part of the upcoming Asian Junior Individual Championship, to be held here in August 2018. 

“I am looking forward to representing India in the Under-15 category in the Championship. Succeeding in it is my short-term objective,” she sounded optimistic. Commenting on her coaches, she said, “We don’t normally get to train with (Cyrus) Poncha but he inspires and motivates us a lot during his sessions at the SDAT academy. A lot of credit will have to go to Major Maniam, who has been influential in my career.” 

“Squash is mostly about physical exertion. Even if you are away from it for a week, you find it difficult to get into groove back unlike other sports. It is mandatory to practise day in and day out to be able to remain fast on court,” added Gitanjali, speaking on the contrasts between the former and other sports. Her father heaped praise on her academy coach who has been working exceedingly hard in moulding Gitanjali’s career.

“Deepak Mishra (Asst National coach) has been putting in the hard yards to extract the best from his trainees. She has to work really hard. It is ultimately a tough sport to be part of,” said Vasudevan.