Dipika and Joshna settle feud to join forces
Indian squash stars Dipika Pallikal and Joshna Chinappa have resolved their differences, as they prepare for the team event in the upcoming South Asian Games, which is scheduled to start at Guwahati and Shillong in February.
“It is back to normal between us. We have known each other way too long to not sort out our differences. And we also live in the same city (Chennai). Besides that, both of us realise the importance of playing together and get more medals for India,” Dipika was quoted as saying by PTI.
Dipika and Joshna, ranked 16 and 13 respectively in the world, had a heated on-court exchange during their quarter-final match at the 2014 Incheon Asian Games. Dipika won that match to claim the Bronze medal, but duo refused to see eye to eye after that unsavory incident.
“It was a tough match and we both were playing for a medal. What happened post that should not have happened but we have decided to move on looking at the bigger picture. We are the only two from our country playing at the highest-level and that is why we have to stick together,” Dipika said.
The duo, who won a Gold medal in the team event of the Commonwealth Games in 2014, are now preparing for the upcoming Asian Team Championship and World Team Championship, which will be held next year.
“We have two big team events next year and hopefully we can win medals for the country,” she added.
When asked about what resolved the fued, she said, “Joshna and I were playing in Canada and she came to talk and obviously it did not take long for us to reconnect. We have been playing together, touring together since our junior days”.
