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Home  » Sports » In Pix: Squash team's wild, wild celebration after historic gold

In Pix: Squash team's wild, wild celebration after historic gold

Last updated on: September 29, 2014 05:11 IST
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Sourav Ghosal

Saurav Ghosal celebrates after India's victory over Malaysia in the men's team final. Photograph: Stanley Chou/Getty Images

India clinched an unprecedented men's team squash gold medal at the Asian Games after its women settled for a first ever silver in Incheon on Saturday.

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The icing on the cake was provided by the men's team, led by Saurav Ghosal, which beat Malaysia in the summit clash at the Yeorumul Squash Courts.

Sourav Ghosal

Saurav Ghosal, left, jumps for joy with team-mates. Photograph: Stanley Chou/Getty Images

Saurav Ghosal and Harinder Pal Sandhu played their hearts out as India won the best-of-three games men's final 2-0 for their second gold of the day.

Saurav Ghosal

The Indian team celebrates after winning the gold medal. Photograph: Stanley Chou/Getty Images

Sandhu, who hails from Chandigarh but is based in Chennai with the Indian Squash Academy, said it was "the biggest moment of my life".

He said he was not under pressure, "as I was playing the first match of the tie".

"I knew the whole team was looking up to me to give the lead," he added.

Saurav Ghosal

India's squasg players celebrate after winning the gold medal. Photograph: PTI

Top seed Ghosal, who had squandered the men's singles gold medal to Kuwait's Abdullah Almazayen after holding a commanding 2-0 lead and a match-ball in the third game earlier in the week, then fought tooth and nail to comeback from 0-1 down and get the better of Malaysian veteran and former world No 7 Ong Beng Hee 3-2 to help India snatch the gold medal.

Saurav Ghosal

Gold medal winners Saurav Ghosal, Harinder Pal Singh Sandhu, Kush Kumar and Mahesh Mangaonkar. Photograph: Stanley Chou/Getty Images

Ghosal won 6-11, 11-7, 11-6, 12-14, 11-9 after an 88-minute marathon battle where no quarter was given and none asked for by either opponent.

He later said he was glad that in the team championship he could do what he couldn't n the individual gold medal contest on September 25.

"I wanted to win this for the team after losing the final earlier. It was a tough game but I am glad I could achieve it," said the world No 16.

Dipika Pallikal, Joshna Chinappa, Saurav Ghosal

Gold medal winners Saurav Ghosal, Harinder Pal Singh Sandhu, Kush Kumar and Mahesh Mangaonkar; and silver medallists Anaka Alankamony, Joshna Chinappa, Aparajitha Balamurukan and Dipika Pallikal pose after the medal ceremony. Photograph: PTI

With a silver and a bronze, through Saurav Ghosal and Dipika Pallikal respectively in the individual events, the squash players signed off with their best ever medal haul at the Asian Games.

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