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Need to have more glass and public courts to promote squash in India, says Pune-boy Arnaav Sareen
City boy Arnaav Sareen, currently ranked number 2 in the under-17 circuit in India began his Bakeway-Srujan Isquash Junior and Senior Open Squash Championship event on Sunday evening
City boy Arnaav Sareen, currently ranked number 2 in the under-17 circuit in India began his Bakeway-Srujan Isquash Junior and Senior Open Squash Championship event on Sunday evening. Coming into the competition on the back of an impressive win at the 3rd Juhu Gymkhana Squash tournament, his first national level victory, the 15-year-old looked to keep the good times rolling in his home town. The second ranked Indian spoke exclusively to Hindustan Times about how important winning a tournament like this would be to elevate his career to new heights.
You won the last tournament. How much of a morale booster is that going into another one?
I was the first seed in that tournament and I won it without dropping a single game. Winning the tournament also got me into the top 5 in the under-17s all the way up to number 2. I wasn’t in the top 5 because I moved up an age category recently. Winning is important and I’m hoping to continue by winning here as well. I’m going to try my best for sure.
Shreyas Mehta, the top seed, is likely to be your opponent should you both make it to the final. Thoughts on squaring off with him?
Shreyas Mehta is actually younger than me, but the last three times I’ve faced him I’ve beaten him. He is a very good and competitive player. He has a decent India ranking too and he also came 7th in the British Open. But I am confident that I’ll win this tournament because I have played with these players before and I know where I stand.
The tournament you played in Mumbai was on a glass court. How different of an experience was that?
One important aspect was that the tournament was played inside the glass court. The ones we have here have only one glass wall, but there all three were glass walls. These kind of courts are set up for viewership purposes. It was a very good experience and completely different as you don’t usually get to play on a glass court.
If that’s the case, then, why do we see so few glass courts in the country?
The construction and maintenance of a glass court is very expensive. As of now India has only two glass courts – Chennai and Mumbai. It will be really good if a glass court is opened in Pune. I think that would promote the game and give more players the opportunity to play on such courts.
Are any steps been taken in order to bring one to Pune?
All squash players are uniting in order to get one here in Pune. Even our coach Deepak Moolani is working towards it.
Sareen demolishes Potdar
Arnav Sareen, an India under-17 player ranked at number two lived up to his favourites tag as he got the tournament underway in the best manner possible with an impressive 11-1, 11-1, 11-2 win over Rohan Potdar of the Bakeway-Srujan Isquash Junior and Senior Open Squash Championship at the Chanchala Sandeep Kodre Sports Club squash courts, Mundhwa, on Sunday.
On the background of a tournament win in Mumbai, Sareen looked to keep the winning momentum going from the very first point of the match.
The 15-year-old dropped only two points en route to winning the first two games within no time. He played a number of forehands and often played a number of topspin and backspin drops, leaving Potdar with no margin for error.
In the third, Potdar managed to extend the duration of points, but it was still impossible for him to impose his dominance over the second seed. Eventually, Sareen put the 16-year-old out of his misery, winning the third and final game 11-2.
On Friday, local boy Aryan Lunkad enjoyed a thrilling start by beating Aditya Raj 11-5 11-2 10-12, 11-5. However, he wasn’t to end the day on a high note as his tournament hopes were cut short after he got knocked out by the third-seeded Rachit Shaliya in the round of the 32. Shaliya played a fine brand of squash to oust Lunkad 6-11, 4-11, 2-11.
