Dipika Pallikal targets top 5 rank by next year

It’s barely been a week since Dipika Pallikal became the first Indian to make it to the top 10 of the world squash ranking, but the 21-year-old has already set her sights on the next target — breaking into the top five.

Currently in Mumbai, training for the World Open starting from December 13 in Cayman Islands, Dipika told DNA that she hopes to achieve that target by the end of next year. “I can also achieve that by the middle of next year if I play incredibly well and remain injury-free. Obviously, getting into the top 10 was a great feat for me, but I want to remain consistent.”

It’s been a great year for the Chennai girl, reaching the final of the Tournament of Champions in New York, entering the semifinals of the Australian Open and to top it all, receiving the Arjuna Award. “It’s been an amazing year for me. I’ve played well consistently against the top ranked players in the world and now I’m looking to finish the year on a high at the World Open,” she said.

Even as a team, the Indian girls, seeded 10th, finished a best-ever fifth at the World Team Squash Championship in France in November. However, Dipika said the team was looking to get into the semifinals despite no one expecting them to even enter the knockout stage. “I told the girls to aim higher. But we ran into Egypt in the quarterfinals. Nonetheless, I think we played well as a team and it was great to finish fifth,” she added.

With the girls team surpassing expectations and her personal ranking at an all-time high, she hopes the sport grows in the country, and juniors look up to players like her and Joshna Chinappa besides the likes of Saina Nehwal and Sania Mirza. “Five years back, no one knew about squash. You still can’t compare it to badminton and tennis, but it is growing. Being the best ranked player in India, I have the responsibility to carry the sport forward,” she signed off.