HCL National Doubles Championship Concludes Successfully in Chennai
Chennai, India: HCL, a leading global conglomerate, along with the Squash Rackets Federation of India (SRFI), today successfully concluded the HCL Nationals Doubles Championship held at the Indian Squash Academy, Chennai between May 13 – May 15, 2024. Under the HCL Squash Podium Program, the revival of the Doubles Squash Championship after a hiatus of 17 years, was a cherished event in India’s squash history.
Abhay Singh and Velavan Senthilkumar won gold in the men’s doubles with a score of 2-0, Pooja Arthi and Rathika Seelan in the women’s Doubles with a score of 2-1 and Abhay Singh and joshna Chinappa in the mixed doubles category. The winners were felicitated by the Chief Guest Dr. Atulya Misra, the Additional Chief Secretary of the Tamil Nadu Government, and Thulasimathi Murugesan, the gold medallist from the Asian Para Games 2022, who was the guest of honor at the finale ceremony.
With India demonstrating prowess in doubles squash on the international stage last year during the Asian Games, HCL endeavored to capitalize on this momentum by reintroducing the Doubles Squash Championship. This exciting initiative pursued to breathe new life into the sport of squash and provided a platform for emerging talent to showcase their skills in doubles play.
Rajat Chandolia, AVP and Head of Brand at HCL was happy to witness the enthusiastic participation of squash players in the HCL National Doubles Championship. He congratulated all the winners and participants on their outstanding performance. He said, “HCL decided to revive this segment to support the Indian players after witnessing their recent success in the Doubles Championships internationally. HCL National Doubles Championship was the first event planned as a part of the Squash Podium Program 2024. Besides this, we have introduced several new activities such as the PSA Challenger Tournaments, High-Performance Camp for Asian & World Junior Championships, Referee Development Program, and Coach Development Program, all aimed at elevating the sport of squash to new heights.”
Cyrus Poncha, Secretary General, the Squash Rackets Federation of India (SRFI) said, “I am truly excited to see the renaissance of doubles squash in India, thanks to the mutual efforts of SRFI and HCL. It was truly thrilling to see the clashes between the double pairs. I believe that Indian Squash has a bright future and the stars of tomorrow will emerge from these events. Our association with HCL has been monumental for the sport and our combined efforts will continue to nurture talented players.”
Winner in both men’s and mixed doubles categories, Abhay Singh, said, “I have always been interested in playing in the doubles category. I thank HCL and SRFI for organizing this championship after a long time in India. I have played with Velavan in Commonwealth but this was my first time playing doubles with Joshna. It is such an honor to team up with her. I was sure that I would win in both categories but now it’s time to win gold at the Asian Doubles Championship in Malaysia.”
The final matches were fought between the pairs of Abhay Singh & Velavan Senthilkumar vs. Rahul Baitha & Suraj Chand in the men’s category and Pooja Arthi & Rathika Seelan vs. Janet Vidhi & Nirupama Dubey in the women’s category and Abhay Singh & Joshna Chinappa vs. Harinder Pal Singh Sandhu & Rathika Seelan in the mixed doubles category.
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