Interview: A world squash champion by 2025 is the goal, says national coach Cyrus Poncha

Poncha is India’s national squash coach

As the only Indian to get recognised in the 2016 list of awardees released by the Asian Squash Federation recently, Cyrus Poncha, the national coach is truly proud. “Any recognition for me is a positive reflection on the squash in India and the performances of the players. It is their contribution that has elevated me,” he said in all humility. Having won this award seven times previously from 2004 onwards, Poncha is not new to recognition but is happy that squash in India has been growing in stature all the time.

He said that 2016 had been an eventful year for India when both the seniors and the juniors broke new grounds in terms of achievements. The world doubles in Australia saw India win a silver through the combination of Saurav Ghosal and Dipika Pallikal Karthik and a bronze each from Joshna Chinappa/Dipika and Joshna/Harinder Pal Sandhu pairs.

Then in the Asian team Championship in Chinese Taipei, India had won a silver medal in the women's section and a bronze in the men's section. Further in the South Asian Games in Guwahati earlier, India had a rich haul of four medals including three gold and one bronze for a historic show that outclassed arch rival Pakistan.

What also particularly satisfied Poncha was the rise of Velavan Senthilkumar to become the Asian U-19 gold medal winner, only the second Indian to achieve that, the last being Ravi Dixit in 2010. Undoubtedly it was a productive year for Indian squash and as the national coach, Poncha had the satisfaction of being part of it all.

Seeing the progress of squash in India, Poncha pinches himself to make sure if he was in a dream. He recalled all the changes that had come to him and his career ever since shifting base from Mumbai in 2001.

“When Mr (N) Ramachandran, the then Secretary-General of SRFI sought my view on coming over to Chennai and be part of the Indian Squash Academy and structured training programme, I thought of nothing else. I am realising now after 16 years what a positive step it had been. With the former Consultant Coach Maj S. Maniam from Malaysia, we laid a system that opened a new vista of growth for squash and results are there for all to see,” he said.

It was his belief that there more accolades were in store.

For the moment, Poncha said, his concern was to broaden the base of squash. “If we have around 150 active players in Chennai, it would be wonderful to make that 500 or so. Same holds for other centres in the country. Then competition will rise, each one would push the other for supremacy and that would raise standards. In the process we will have a larger pool of talent to look from for India duty,” he said.

This he said, would counter the current scenario where there is the heartbreak of seeing talented young players often leave the sport for studies, mostly in the USA and lose out on progressing further in the sport. “In fact, we now have Velavan, whom I consider is now very much a top-20 player in the world, is set to leave for the USA. I do not know how much he can carry on after shifting base. History does not support him though the young man is eager,” he said.

Poncha said this migration is not specific to India alone. Malaysia faced it, even Egypt, but the point to note is that American Universities often prefer Indian players because they were generally smart in studies too. Nonetheless, India was never short of talent, he said and pointed to the bubbling scene in the U-15 and U-17 boys and girls sections. “We have a very talented crop and I am looking forward to even better results on the international plane in the seasons ahead,” he said.

The national coach said that 2018 would be a busy year for squash with the Asian Games and Commonwealth Games scheduled. “There was also the Asian junior Championship and World junior championship, both to take place in Chennai,” he said, underlining the hectic period ahead.

In fact, the plan was to start moulding the young crop in hand and to that extent, he said, the Federation would seek government sanction to have a group of talented young players undergo a camp in Egypt in addition to coaching programme within the country.

Poncha believed that in the 16 years he had been at the ISA, he has seen and been associated with several fabulous moments but there was more to come. “I think more than awards what I am looking forward is seeing a world champion emerge from India. We have won virtually everything else with the British Junior Open 2017 the pinnacle, with three Indians taking the top-three place in U-19 section. Time now to see a world champion and I would give myself a period till 2025 to see that happen. It will,” he said with a touch of assurance, while signing off.