Commonwealth Games: With historic bronze, Sourav Ghosal gives himself an early birthday present, could add more to tally

Sourav Ghosal turns 36 two days after the 2022 Commonwealth Games get over. It has been a fine year so far and it got better as he gave himself an early birthday present with his first-ever singles individual medal at the CWG and in process became the first Indian to do so.

Earlier in the year, he won the World Squash Doubles gold in Glasgow with sister-in-law and India’s top woman squash star, Dipika Pallikal, with whom Ghosal had also won a CWG silver in 2018. Ghosal is married to Dipika’s sister, Divya. Top seeded this time, they hope strike gold in mixed doubles and Dipika should add another.

Ghosal is quite easily the most decorated player in Indian squash history. His cabinet has several singles individual medals including four in four Asian Games dating back to 2006, yet his collection did not include any from the Commonwealth Games. That was till now.

Which is why he was extremely emotional and elated at the same time, as he stunned a more fancied James Willstrop in the bronze medal play-off. Ghosal had earlier lost his semi-finals to New Zealander Paul Coll, the only non-Egyptian player in the semi-finals at the 2020-21 PSA championships.

“I'm very, very happy,” emphasised Ghosal, who is not the kinds, who goes over the top. He even shed a few tears as the match ended.

He added, “This singles medal was the one missing from my collection. I have played three Commonwealth games before this. I came close in 2014 when I finished fourth and to be able to kind of pull through in my fourth attempt makes it even more special because you had to wait for it for so long and, obviously, with it being India's first, it makes it extremely important and historic for us as a country."

India had never won a squash individual medal and it was appropriate that Ghosal, now 35, and surely in the last few years of his career in this gruelling sport.

The current lot of squash players, Ghosal, Paul Coll and James Willstrop and a few others have spent their best years competing against each other, so they know each other’s games and styles well.

There was a time, when Willstrop’s father, Malcolm Willstrop, was Ghosal’s coach, too. Currently Ghosal trains with Australian David Palmer, who spends most of his time in the US.

There is little by way of surprise and seedings don’t matter. Only the form on that day matters.

Yet, when Ghosal went up against Willstrop, it seemed the Indian was playing inspired. Maybe, he had seen his chance. Willstrop was stretched to five games in the quarter-final against Scotland’s Rory Stewart and was then hammered in the semi-final by Welshman Joel Malkin in three straight games. So, Willstrop did not carry the same kind of confidence he usually does.

Ghosal, who has brought in a lot of variation in his strokes, especially on the  backhands, played aggressive from the start and it paid off. Ghosal gave the 38-year-old Willstrop no chance as he won 11-6, 11-1, 11-4.

Willstrop, a gold medallist from 2018, and took silver from 2014 and 2010 before that, admitted, “I was gutted with the performance. It just wasn't there. It’s just gone. I was desperate to give it a go, but there was nothing in the tank. I wanted to do it because a bronze medal is crucial after all the support we've had over the years including the funding from Sport England.

“It was physical – every lunge was harder than it usually is. Squash is tough. It is a horrible sport on your limbs and joints.

Many felt Ghosal’s best chance was 2018 when he was seeded third. He made his CWG debut in 2010 and lost in the third round to Philip Barker of England. In 2014, Ghosal lost to Willstrop in the semi-finals and again lost the bronze play-off to England’s Philip Barker.

Four years ago in 2018, Ghosal was seeded third, the highest billing he had ever got in the CWG, but  was stunned in the Round of 32.

The bronze medal in Birmingham is Ghosal’s second medal at CWG. The first was a mixed doubles silver with Dipika Pallikal in 2018 Gold Coast.

He said, " It's a historic day for Indian squash. To be able to do this on a stage like this against a player of the ilk of James Willstrop is very, very special. I'm just so happy that after all these years I have managed to kind of pull through and win this medal. So I'm ecstatic."

There is a little more action left in these Games for Ghosal. He could add a second medal from the same Games as he figures in the mixed doubles, an event he and Dipak Pallikal Karthik won a gold in at the 2022 World Doubles Championship.

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