British Open champion Joshna Chinnappa beat Vaidehi Reddy 3-1 in an all-Indian final to emerge champion in the 11th Asian Junior squash championship in Islamabad, Pakistan, on Wednesday.
The 16-year-old squash prodigy from Chennai, came back strongly after losing the first game to win the final against her Chennai mate in a little over 40 minutes, at 5-9, 9-7, 9-4, 9-6, and become the first Indian to win the gold medal at the championships.
This is the first time that two Indians contested the final of an Asian squash event.
The title has come a month after Joshna won the prestigious under-17 British Open title
Earlier, in the semi-finals, the Chennai girl had upset Hong Kong No 1 Chan Ho Ling 9-1, 9-2, 7-9, 9-3.
In the other semi-final, Vaidehi, also of Chennai, had defeated another Hong Kong girl Chiu Ka Kei 9-4, 9-4, 9-10, 9-3.
Speaking to rediff.com just before leaving for Pakistan, Joshna described Vaidehi Reddy as a close friend of hers.
"Unlike people think, we are great friends with similar interests. We gossip a lot, we shop together and we enjoy playing against each other. But once on the court, we don't think of our friendship."
Wednesday was one such day when Joshna forgot that Vaidehi was her friend!
Speaking about the triumph, Joshna's father, Anjan Chinnappa, who introduced her to squash and coached her till recently, said, "It is great news but not as great as the British Open title where she was competing against the best in the world. Here, she was competing against the best in Asia."
Anjan Chinnappa sounded a bit disappointed as he was not been able to talk to his daughter immediately after her victory.
"She called me immediately after she won the British Open but this time, we are yet to talk to her. There is something wrong with the telephone lines, I think."
Joshna is the current world number one in the under-17 section and the number one in the under-19 category in Asia.
The boys' final was more thrilling. Pakistan's Farhan Mahboob gained sweet revenge for his defeat against countryman Yasir Butt at last month's Junior British Open, winning 7-9, 9-6, 9-3, 10-8.
The Lahore-based Butt, who had beaten Farhan in the under-17 final of the British Open, took the first game. However, Farhan, after receiving some pep talk from his father and caoch Mahboob Khan, rallied strongly to win the next three games and claim the crown.
Jahangir Khan, president of the World Squash Federation, gave away the prizes.
The team event gets under way on Thursday, with the final slated for Sunday.
