Four bronze, one silver and four editions since her Asian Games debut in 2010, Dipika Pallikal finally had gold to her name, teaming up with old friend Harinderpal Sandhu to claim the mixed doubles and India’s second squash gold medal here, winning 11-10, 11-10 against Malaysia’s Aifa Binti Azman and Mohd. Syafiq Kamal in 35 minutes.
The duo had to dig deep into their reserves and experience to survive crucial moments in both games as Sandhu got his second gold here after the men’s team finals. The first game was a roller-coaster, with the lead switching hands every couple of points before the Indians saved two game balls to win.
The second saw them dominate and race to a 9-3 lead before the Malaysians fought back, reeling seven straight points to go ahead 10-9. But the Indian pair hung tight and saved the game seven times as the point kept getting replayed before getting the final two to seal the win.
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“To be honest, it’s a complete blur. The only thing I remember, and Harry also I am sure, is the last point and how we won it. We will go back to the drawing board and see what went wrong at that time but for now, we will just enjoy ourselves,” Dipika said about the second game.
The medal was also her response to many critics who questioned her fitness and suitability for a tough outing. “We sacrifice a lot of things, but that doesn’t mean we have to give up on our dreams. It is very important for women to feel empowered and to know that it’s okay to take time off, have kids and come back to the sport.”
“The guilt will always be there of leaving them, but I know I am doing something worthwhile and that when they grow up, they will know their mother wasn’t holidaying in Hangzhou but working to win a medal for the country and them,” she insisted.
Sandhu, on his part, quipped that it felt like being on the court with a teacher when things weren’t going smoothly. “I just had to control myself from all the emotions we had last week, coming from the men’s final and starting very early the next morning. She told me to hide my medal, and I did that so that I don’t see it any time of the day.”
“We just had to be very positive in our minds. We started okay, then we lost the lead, and I wasn’t doing so well on court. I was like the kid in school who loses track, and then the teacher comes -- she’s always there in the ear and put me back on track,” they signed off, relieved and glad the more than decade-long camaraderie had translated into a successful combination at last.”
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