Asian Games: Will pursue matter of manipulated draw, says Dipika Pallikal

After securing India's maiden women's singles squash medal at the Asian Games, a vindicated Dipika  has said she will continue to fight against the "manipulated" draw with higher authorities

New Delhi: After securing India's maiden women's singles squash medal at the Asian Games, a vindicated Dipika Pallikal has said she will continue to fight against the "manipulated" draw with higher authorities after being let down by the officials back home.


Dipika Pallikal 

Pallikal, who lost to World No 1 Nicol David in the semi-finals yesterday, said she was pleased with her marathon winning effort against teammate Joshana Chinappa that assured her of a bronze on Sunday, especially because it proved the "authorities and her doubters" wrong.

"This win was really important for me. Some people thought I did not want to face Joshana when all along I maintained that the draw was manipulated. And I still feel the same even after I have won a medal for my country.

'Exploring options'
"Imagine we could have won two medals if Joshana was in the other half. For the future, I am exploring options of how I can pursue this matter," Pallikal said from Incheon.

For one, Pallikal has the option of appealing to the ad hoc division of the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) set up at the Incheon Games. The CAS is an arbitration institution founded in 1984 and specialises in the resolution of sports law disputes.

No reply from SRFI
The first Indian to break into the world's top-10 had considered pulling out of the Games after expressing her displeasure over the draw pitting her and Chinappa in the same half. She even wrote to the Indian Squash Federation (SRFI) but said she did not even get a reply. The SRFI had refuted Pallikal's claims.

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