Squash players Dipika Pallikal and Joshna Chinappa are friends again

India's leading squash players, who couldn't see eye to eye after an acrimonious quarter-final in the Incheon Asian Games, have buried the hatchet to be friends again ahead of a busy upcoming season

New Delhi: India's leading squash players Dipika Pallikal and Joshna Chinappa, who couldn't see eye to eye after an acrimonious quarter-final in the Incheon Asian Games, have buried the hatchet to be friends again ahead of a busy upcoming season.


Dipika Pallikal and Joshna Chinappa

The fiercely fought last eight clash, which Dipika won to secure India's first women's singles medal at the Asian Games, had jeopardised the longtime friendship between the country's top female players. They stopped talking after the heated on court exchange in Incheon and all of this took place a month after Dipika and Joshna made history by winning the India's first ever gold at the Commonwealth Games.

"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," revealed Joshna, who has now overtaken Dipika to be India's highest-ranked player at 13.

Bigger picture
"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 have to stick together," said Dipika.

"We have two big team events next year and hopefully we can win medals for the country," the World No 16 said while recalling the quarterfinal at the 2014 Asian Games. What did it take to break the ice? "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," said Dipika.

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