CHENNAI: Joshna Chinappa has scripted her career with a plethora of accolades. The 40-year-old from Chennai on Thursday added another Asian Games medal to her cabinet when she and Velavan Senthilkumar beat the Philippine pair of David Pelino and Jemica Arybado to enter the semifinals of the mixed doubles event on Friday at the Nagoya Kinjo Futo Arena.
The duo will face the Hong Kong pair of World No 40 Lee Ka Yi and Tang Ming Hong in Saturday’s semifinals.
Chinappa will hope for her first gold at the Asian Games. Previously, she has won two silvers (2014 & 2018 in team events) and three bronze medals (2010 & 2022 in team events, 2018 in singles).
But for Chinappa, the Asian Games has always been a special event to take part in. Making her debut in 2002, she had recalled how she got to watch top-level athletes then. “All the biggest athletes at that time were there playing. I got to spend time with them, hang out with them. So it was such a wonderful memory,” she recalled after qualifying to the Asiad for a record-seventh time here, in August.
The former World No 10, in her 40s, has not had it all fancy in the past few years. After her knee injury in late 2023, she had to work her way through the rankings. Then last year, she got back to winning ways, with the Asian Doubles title. Then, her long journey in capturing a singles title ended in October that year, winning the Japan Open squash meet.
For Velavan, his good run of form continues and the chances of it ending in a medal has risen. After winning the Budapest Open – his biggest event in his career – he has the chance of making bigger returns in the quadrennial bash.
Abhay, Anahat enter semis
India's top-ranked singles squash players Abhay Singh (men) and Anahat Singh (women) breezed through to the semifinals of their respective events, assuring a medal for their nation. However, that would not be enough for them in their ultimate pursuit of gold and a spot at the Olympics in 2028.
Abhay is coming on the back of winning a PSA challenger event in Malaysia, right after recovering from a slight niggle. Facing his Japanese opponent Ryunosuke Ryo, it took him only 34 minutes to win the match 3-0. He will face either of compatriot Veer Chotrani or Pakistan's Irfan Muhammad, whose tie is set to begin.
Meanwhile, Anahat Singh brushed off compatriot Tanvi Khanna 3-0 in a match that lasted only 19 minutes. She will face World No 6 Satomi Watanabe on Saturday in the semifinals. Post the World Junior victory, Anahat took part in a PSA Platinum event (Qatar classic) and a gold event (London classic), in which she bowed out in the quarterfinals to stronger opponents. Watanabe, meanwhile, also played in London in Asian Games, bowing out in the quarterfinals.
This tie will put Anahat's talent to the test, as she faces a superior opponent in a high-stakes clash.