Two-time World Championships medallist Chris Walker has been appointed as Indian squash group’s international coach on an “event basis” forward of the Commonwealth Games and Asian Games later this 12 months.
According to a Sports Ministry launch, Walker, who represented England in squash and biking, will likely be “engaged” with the Indian group for 16 weeks.
Walker’s appointment was really helpful by the Sports Authority of India’s Selection Committee and officers of the Squash Racquet Federation of India (SRFI).
India didn’t have a international coach since Egypt’s Achraf el Karargui left in March 2018 as a consequence of variations with SRFI.
With Mark Cairns, Walker received the inaugural World Doubles Squash Championships in 1997. Having moved base to the United States, he rose to be the nationwide coach of the US group.
SRFI secretary basic Cyrus Poncha welcomed Walker’s appointment saying his credentials converse for itself. Walker’s first task with the Indian group is prone to be World Doubles Championship in April.
“He was a top singles players in the world. He has won medals in big events including CWG. He has what it takes to guide our team in the right direction. It is an event based arrangement and not a full-time appointment,” Poncha instructed PTI.
“This event based arrangement suits us more as our leading players are on the professional tour for the major part of the year,” he mentioned including that SRFI is concentrating on 5 medals every from Asian Games and CWG.
Walker received bronze medals within the 1993 and 1996 World Open Squash Championships and was a part of the England groups that claimed silver medals within the World Team Championships in 1995 and 1997. He additionally has Commonwealth Games doubles bronze medals in 1998 and 2002.
He additionally represented England in Cycling within the Commonwealth Games in Kuala Lumpur in 1998.
“I couldn’t be more excited about working with Team India in such an important year with the run up to the World Doubles, Commonwealth Games and Asian Games,” mentioned Walker.
“I will be working closely with the Federation, and I want to help all the Indian Squash team players prepare absolutely the best they can to play their best squash at these upcoming events.”
The Indian males’s group comprising Saurav Ghoshal, Ramit Tandon and Mahesh Mangaokar lately completed runner-up within the Asian Team Championships in Kuala Lumpur. The girls’s squad, with Joshna Chinappa, Sunayna Kuruvilla and Urwashi Joshi made it to the semifinals.
The Commonwealth Games is because of be held in Birmingham from July 28 to August 8 and the Asian Games in Hangzhou, China, from September 10 to 25.
India received two silver medals within the Commonwealth Games 2018 by way of doubles pairs, Dipika Pallikal Karthik partnering Joshna Chinappa in girls’s doubles and Saurav Ghoshal in blended doubles.
India completed the Asian Games 2018 with 5 medals, together with a silver (girls’s group) and 4 bronze medals in three occasions.
