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Squash Leads Teen To Columbia Univ

    • admin@nie.com
    • Publish Date: Jan 13 2017 11:13AM
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    • Updated Date: Jan 13 2017 11:13AM
Squash Leads Teen To Columbia Univ

Cricket is not the only sport in India that throws up career opportunities - ask Velavan Senthilkumar. The 18-year-old British Junior Open squash champion is on his way to Columbia University in August to pursue a degree in economics, and it's all because of his excellence in the sport.


"I was approached by the assistant squash coach at Columbia when I was playing the British Open. At Columbia, I am going to be playing university squash. The training schedule is similar to the one in Chennai, but the infrastructure is way better," Velavan, a student of Don Bosco, Egmore, told TOI. There were other offers from Ivy League universities like Harvard, Princeton and Yale, but the opportunities that Columbia offered for squash made him go for it. "There are a lot more opportunities outside the university too and I want to make the most of them," Velavan said.

There is a voice of scepticism around Velavan's decision to move to Columbia. A few at the Indian squash academy in Chennai, where Velavan trains, feel squash might take a backseat once he moves to Columbia. But Velavan is confident it will not be so. "Squash is going to be my priority , academics is only secondary ," Velavan said. His coach Cyrus Poncha believes the teenager can go places in squash and hopes that he continues working on his game in Columbia. "Hope fully Velavan will continue making the progress that has taken him this far," Poncha said.


According to Velavan's father Senthilkumar, the lack of a system in India where his son could get a degree without compromising on squash forced them to take the decision. "We don't have any colleges or universities here where he can get a good education while playing squash. In the US, it is much better. There is a good set-up. Apart from college, there are also a lot of clubs where he can go and train," Senthilkumar, who runs a textile factory , said.


For now, Velavan is savouring his British Open title win. He is only the third Indian to do so after Anil Nair in the 1970s and Saurav Ghosal more recently ."It's a fabulous victory. For any Indian to win the junior British Open requires something special. Saurav did it in 2004. At the time, he was training here at the academy . Now, for Vela to do it, just makes it that much more special. It's a big moment for the academy too and we're proud," Poncha said.
 

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