Ritwik ready to make a racket at Nationals

MUMBAI: He is the envy of all opponents when on court. From the sidelines of course, he is a delight to watch.

Squash player Ritwik Bhattacharya of Delhi has made a mark for himself in this game of the elitist, and is all geared for the senior Nationals which start at the Bombay Gymkhana from November 6.

“This year has been good for me and I’m sure that the senior nationals should be no different,” said Bhattacharya, who is in the city to take part at the Western Indian Open championship.

The international player feels that the Western Indian Open Squash came at the right time for players to fine-tune before the start of the Nationals.

For Bhattacharya, national championship is always a top priority. “I might have won many, but I still cherish every win like the first. I have played world ranking players, but participating at the Nationals and winning the title is something very special,” he said. Bhattacharya has been working hard to be competitive at the world level.

The year 2005 has been good for the 25-year-old, having won the Chennai Open for the first time, but Bhattacharya feels the icing on the cake would be if he could do well in the two upcoming internationals, World Open in Malayasia and the World Championship in Pakistan.

“I have been playing good squash. The results speak for themselves. Thank god I have overcome the injury which had sidelined me in the year 2003 and 2004.”