Saurav Ghosal (born 10 August 1986) is an Indian former squash player. He reached a career-high ranking of World No. 10 in April 2019. He won the first ever squash medal for India, a bronze in the singles and mixed doubles at the Commonwealth Games. [1]
In 2013, Ghosal became the first Indian to reach the Quarter finals of the World Squash Championship at Manchester, England. [2] In 2004, he became the first Indian ever to win the coveted British Junior Open Under-19 Squash title, defeating Adel El Said of Egypt in the final at Sheffield, England.
Ghosal moved to Chennai after completing his school and was based at the ICL squash academy in Chennai and coached by Major (Rtd) Maniam and Cyrus Poncha in Chennai, India. Currently based in Leeds, he trains with Malcolm Willstrop at Pontefract Squash Club in West Yorkshire. Saurav is the current Indian national champion after he defeated Gaurav Nandrajog at the National Championships 2006 in New Delhi. As of May 2010, [update] his PSA world rank is 27. In the top 100 in the world are two of his Indian Squash Colleagues Siddharth Suchde (80) and Harinder Pal Sandhu (90).
Ghosal won the bronze medal at the Asian Games 2006 Doha and was awarded the Arjuna Award by the President of India in August 2007, thus becoming the first squash player from the country to get the award.
Ghosal started playing squash in his hometown of Kolkata, at the Kolkata Racquet Club. He studied from the Lakshmipat Singhania Academy, before moving to Chennai to join the ICL Squash Academy. Here he was coached by retired Major Maniam and Cyrus Poncha.
Ghosal has numerous firsts to his credit, the first Indian to be ranked junior World No one, the first to bag the junior National championship three years in a row and in December 2006, he won the country the first medal in squash in the Doha Asian Games. His first major title was the German Open (U-17) in May 2002 and he won the Dutch Open two months later. [3]
In 2013, he became the first Indian squash player to reach the quarter-finals of the World Championship. In 2014, he won the silver medal (individual singles) in the 17th Asian Games at Incheon. He was the first Indian squash player to do so. He lost in the final to Abdullah Al-Muzayen of Kuwait. He however led the Indian Squash team to its first ever Gold Medal at Incheon. In the final he bounced back from a game down to eke out a 6-11 11-7 11-6 12-14 11-9 win over former world no. 7, Ong Beng Hee in a gruelling 88-minute clash to give India a healthy 2-0 lead. [4]
Ghosal also remains the first Indian player to claim a place in the world’s top 10 during the 2018-19 campaign.
Saurav Ghosal has been named as the Professional Squash Association’s (PSA) Men’s President as one of three new additions to the PSA’s Board of Directors, which were officially confirmed at the association’s annual AGM on Wednesday 22 December 2021. [5]
In August 2022, Ghosal became the first Indian men's squash singles medallist at the 2022 Commonwealth Games after he beat 2018 reigning champion James Willstrop of England in straight sets in the bronze medal playoff to take the bronze medal. He defeated Shamil Wakeel of Sri Lanka 11-4, 11-4, 11-6 in the second round, beat David Baillargeon of Canada 11-6, 11-2, 11-6 in the third round. In the quarter-final, he recovered from a defeat in the second set to see off Scotland’s Greg Lobban 11-5, 8-11, 11-7, 11-3 before falling to New Zealand’s world no. 2 and eventual gold medallist Paul Coll 9-11, 4-11, 1-11 in the semi-final.
Saurav married Diya Pallikal (sister of Dipika Pallikal Karthik) on 1 February 2017. [6] [7] [8]
Joshna Chinappa is an Indian professional squash player. She reached a career-high world ranking of #10 in 2016. She was the first Indian to win the British Junior Open in 2005.
Cyrus Poncha is an Indian squash administrator and coach and former junior squash player. Born in Mumbai, he is currently based out of Chennai, and coaches at the ICL-TNSRA Squash Academy. Presently, he is the Secretary General of Squash Rackets Federation of India. He is a Dronacharya Awardee. He was adjudged Asian Squash Federation Coach of the Year six times. He has coached several squash players such as Joshna Chinappa, Dipika Pallikal Karthik, Saurav Ghoshal and Velavan Senthilkumar.
Indian Squash Academy is a squash training facility established by the Squash Racquets Federation of India (SRFI) in Chennai, India. The India Cements was one of the sponsors it had initially sponsored the 1990 facility along with the Tamil Nadu Squash Racquets Association (TNSRA). It has trained several squash players such as Saurav Ghosal, Joshna Chinapa, Dipika Pallikal and Manish Chotrani.
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James Willstrop is an English professional squash player from Yorkshire and formerly the highest ranked player in the world.
Dipika Pallikal is an Indian professional squash player. She was the first Indian player to break into the top 10 in the world rankings.
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The Squash Rackets Federation of India aka SRFI is the Indian governing body for the game of squash. It conducts the National Squash Championship, promotes the game through the state squash bodies, provides training facilities, selects the squad, and chooses coaches for the national team.
Harinder Pal Sandhu is an Indian professional squash player. He reached a career-high world ranking of World No. 47 in April 2018.
Lakshmi Shruti Settipalli is an Indian squash player. She was ranked 30 in the junior European circut at the end of 2012. She played as a professional when she was seventeen, achieving a world ranking of 145 in August 2013.
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The Squash at the 2014 Commonwealth Games held at the Scotstoun Sports Campus, Glasgow. Singles play took place from 24 July to 28 July.
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The Men's singles Squash event of the 2018 Commonwealth Games was held at the Oxenford Studios, Gold Coast. Singles play took place between 5 and 9 April. Englishman James Willstrop won gold after beating Paul Coll of New Zealand in straight games, 11-9, 11-4, 11-6.
The Mixed doubles Squash event at the 2018 Commonwealth Games was held at the Oxenford Studios, Gold Coast, Australia from 10 to 14 April. Australia, which were the champions from the previous edition of the Games in 2014, beat India in straight sets to win the gold.
The 2018–19 PSA Men's World Squash Championship was the 2018–19 men's edition of the World Squash Championships, which serves as the individual world championship for squash players. The event will take place in Chicago, United States from 23 February - 2 March 2019.
