Raj Manchanda, the ‘Old Fox’ of Indian squash, passes away at 80

A six-time National champion and an Arjuna Awardee, Manchanda was acknowledged for his untiring resilience and exceptional ability to outlast opponents.

Raj Manchanda was an Arjuna Awardee and a six-time National champion. | Photo Credit: THE HINDU ARCHIVES

Brig Raj Manchanda, the `Old Fox’ of Indian squash, passed away in Delhi on December 1. He was 80. Manchanda was visiting Delhi to attend a wedding and was cremated with Military Honours at Brar Square.

A six-time National champion and an Arjuna Awardee, Manchanda was acknowledged for his untiring resilience and exceptional ability to outlast opponents. He took to coaching after his retirement. Among his international feats was a fourth place at the 1984 Asian Championships in Jordan.

“He was a dream father, more of a friend. Never hurt anyone and loved to share his experience with young squash players,” said his daughter, Shibani, who played squash at the National level with her younger brother, Anshul.

Speaking to Sportstar, Cyrus Poncha, Secretary of Squash Rackets Federation of India said: “He (Raj Manchanda) was one of the pioneers from Services to take squash seriously and did really well. He started playing in his 30s and won all his six National singles championships consecutively from 1977 to ‘82.”

After moving away from squash, Manchanda was a consultant at Exhibition Industries in Delhi. According to his wife, Suneeta, “It is a matter of pride for the family that two courts have been named after him at the National Defence Academy and Indian Military Academy.”

A popular figure for his talent for singing and composing, Manchanda was a kind man. “As a teenager, he once took his collection of trophies and requested the sports shop owner to sell them and use the money to help squash players,” recalled Shibani.