For someone who had to reach a landline phone to convey the news of her maiden National Championships victory to her parents and now goes off social media without batting an eyelid, Joshna Chinappa is a dignified ambassador for her sport and for India. And she will be an important part of Trailblazers 2.0, India’s biggest sports conclave.
With 18 national titles and two Asian Championships singles crowns under her belt, she is the most successful Indian squash player. Her maiden National title dates back to the year 2000 when she was 14. From being among the youngest on tour to being among the most experienced, she has conducted herself with grace and humility to win countless admirers.
Her remarkable fitness through her long career, coupled with her ability to bounce back from injuries, has stood her in as good stead as her court craft during her transition to the era of the advanced cellular phone. She has acquired immense knowledge and is ready to share her wisdom with anyone who tickles her intellect.
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#Trailblazers2Conclave Know Your Panelist: The Flag Bearer of Indian women’s squash, Padma Shri @joshnachinappa.
She’ll be a part of the Trailblazers 2.0 panel as she was the previous year! @TataSteelLtd #Squash #Trailblazers pic.twitter.com/4TECbiWMF0
— RevSportz (@RevSportz) February 9, 2024
Through the years, her passion for the sport has remained strong and, if anything, only grown. There was no better example of this than in the wake of the lockdown caused by the onset of the Covid-19 pandemic. She returned to training and teamed up with Dipika Pallikal Karthik to win the women’s doubles crown in the 2022 World Championships in Glasgow.
And the following year, she was quite the star of India’s run to the bronze medal at the Hangzhou Asian Games. She won three of her four matches in the league phase, losing only to Malaysia’s Sivasangari Subramaniam, and won a close match against Ho Tze-Lok in the semifinals against Hong Kong.
The joy she expressed at squash being included in the 2028 Los Angeles Olympic Games programme is testimony to her love for her sport. She knows that it would be quite challenging to stay motivated and hungry with more passage of time and while she is thrilled that her sport will finally be in the Olympic Games, she can be expected to give it a good shot.
She returns to her second successive Trailblazers Conclave after acquiring more achievements, a fifth medal in her sixth Asian Games appearance, and greater recognition by way of the Padma Shri, India’s fourth highest civilian honour. Joshna Chinappa, who brings great value to the table as a leader and an articulate sportsperson, will be a voice that compels attention.
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