Dipika Pallikal, who was on a three-year break, came back into the international circuit with a bang as she played a stellar role, helping India clinch historic titles in women's doubles and mixed doubles in the World Doubles Squash Championships in Glasgow on Saturday.
She partnered with Joshna Chinappa for the women's doubles and with Saurav Ghosal in the mixed doubles event. She had taken a break from squash after her marriage with Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) batter Dinesh Karthik. The couple was even blessed with twin boys last year.
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She along with Saurav Ghosal made history for India in the mixed doubles final as they defeated fourth-seeded English pair Adrian Waller and Alison Waters 11-6, 11-8 to pocket the title. The duo became India's first-ever World Doubles squash champions.
And then just hours later, Dipika joined forces with Joshna, who are Commonwealth Games winners in women's doubles and were seeded third in the event. The duo brought double joy to the Indian contingent after they upset England's Sarah-Jane Perry and Alison Waters, the second seeds, 11-9, 4-11, 11-8 in a hard-fought final.
This is the first time that India has won the World titles and their previous best was two silver medals in 2014 and 2016. Dipika and Saurav lost in the mixed doubles final in 2016 while Saurav and Ritwik Bhattacharya finished as men's doubles runners-up in 2014.
Meanwhile, Vikram Malhotra and Joshna Chinappa finished tenth in mixed doubles after losing 11-4, 11-6 to Malaysian pair Mohammad Syafiq Kamal and Aifa Azman in their ninth-tenth place playoffs, according to a report on Olympis.com.
Ramit Tandon and Vikram Malhotra, India's only entry in men's doubles, won their 17th place playoff against Wales' Elliott Morris and Owain Taylor 11-7, 11-10 on Saturday.
(Inputs from IANS)
