Local lass Ashita looks to finish on a high

Her hopes of making it far in the tournament were dented when she was drawn with top seed Rowan Reda Araby (Egypt) for a potential second round match-up. If Bhengra does manage to get past Australia’s Grace Pattison in the opening round, she will battle it out against the Egyptian.

“This will be my last junior tournament. I have been drawn in the tougher half, I will be playing the top seed (in the second round). Playing a really good game against her would be nice to sign off,” said the 18-year-old.  

“I have been training hard for this for the past few months, had a few gym sessions and match practice as well,” added Ashita.

The top-ranked Under-19 player in the country, who is a part of the 12-member Indian contingent, will get some serious backing from the local fanatics. Asked if she is anxious to play in front of her home fans, the local lass asserted, “Pressure is naturally there when you play in your home town. Everyone wants you to do well. Crowds and people you know personally are going to be there watching your game. It’s going to be amazing. I am more excited about the experience rather than feeling the pressure of playing here.”

The national squad had travelled to Egypt, a powerhouse in the sport, with preparation for the World Juniors being the focal point. She pointed out that the journey to the ‘Gift of the Nile’ was indeed a fruitful one as it took her game to the next level. “It has been really good (her journey in the past year). We went there for a few weeks as a part of our training. Since then, my game has definitely gone up a notch. Focussing on nothing but this tournament has changed my game, made me play faster on court,” remarked Ashita, who will be pursuing her Undergraduate degree in Liberal Arts at the Trinity College in the United States of America after the tournament.

“I am grateful to my coaches, parents and everyone involved in the process of getting me ready. Thankful to those for helping me and making me stand where I am now,” she concluded.