Four bronze, one silver and four editions since her Asian Games debut in 2010 later, Dipika Pallikal finally finally had a gold to her name, teaming up with old friend Harinderpal Sandhu to claim the mixed doubles and India’s second squash gold here, winning 11-10, 11-10 against Malaysia’s Aifa Binti Azman and Mohd. Syafiq Kamal in 35 minutes.
The duo had to dig deep into its reserves and experience to survive crucial moments in both games as Harinderpal got his second gold at the Asian Games after the men’s team final.
The first game was a roller-coaster with the lead switching hands every couple of points before the Indians saved two game balls to win, the second saw them dominate and race to a 9-3 lead before the Malaysians fought back, reeling seven straight points to go ahead 10-9. But the Indian pair hung tight, saved the game seven times as the point kept getting replayed before getting the final two to seal the win.
“To be honest, it’s a complete blur. The only thing I remember, and Harry also I am sure, is the last point and how we won it. We will go back to the drawing board and see what went wrong at that time but for now, we will just enjoy ourselves,” Dipika said about the second game.
Answering critics
The medal was also her response to many critics who questioned her fitness and suitability for a tough outing. “We sacrifice a lot of things but that doesn’t mean we have to give up on our dreams. It is very important for women to feel empowered and to know that it’s ok to take time off, have kids and come back to the sport.
“The guilt will always be there of leaving them but I know I am doing something worthwhile and that when they grown up, they will know their mother wasn’t holidaying in Hangzhou but working to win a medal for the country and them,” she insisted.
Harinderpal on his part quipped that it felt like being on court with a teacher when things weren’t going smoothly.
“We started OK, then we lost the lead and I wasn’t doing so well on court. I was like the kid in school who loses track and then the teacher comes — she’s always there in the ear and put me back on track.”
In men’s singles, there was no fairytale finish for Saurav Ghosal. It was the one prize missing from his cabinet and despite his best efforts, Ghosal had to settle for his second silver and fifth consecutive singles medal, going down 11-9, 9-11, 5-11, 7-11 to Malaysia’s Eain Yow Ng.
The most decorated Indian athlete in the sport with a medal in every edition he has participated in since his Asian Games debut in 2006 was proud of his performance.
“That’s the one medal I really wanted and I put in everything. I don’t know if I am going to have another shot but if this is the last one, I can be proud of the fact I gave it everything and I don’t think I could have given more,” he declared.
