Ritwik confident of taking the world's best at home

New Delhi, Nov 5 : Five times national squash champion Ritwik Bhattacharya is excited ahead of the Punj Lloyd PSA Masters at the Bombay Gymkhana in Mumbai Dec 5-10 and feels the home conditions should favour India's chances.

The $152,000 tournament has the world's top-32 players competing in the season-ending Masters Event with no qualifiers in the main draw.

Ritwik says squash is picking up fast in the country and is the sport of the future.

"Squash is becoming popular in India. The sport has developed now and is a part of Commonwealth Games and Asian Games. Around 700-800 juniors in India are playing squash and are performing well at the national and the international level. Squash is the sport of future," Ritwik told IANS.

The 30-year-old, who is ranked 75th in the world, draws strength from his good showing at home, where he scored his biggest win of his career over the then World No.11 Malaysian Mohd. Azlan Iskander enroute to winning Maharashtra State Open Squash Open Championships last year.

"I always play well at home. I defeated Mohd. Azlan Iskander last year, so I am quite excited. The fact that Sourav (Ghosal) has also qualified means that two Indians will be playing in the tournament. Sourav has been playing well recently and I am happy for him," Ritwik said.

"Punj Lloyd PSA Masters is a unique concept. One get to compete against the top 32 players of the world in your own backyard and nothing could be better. It will be wonderful experience to interact with the world's top players who are better in skill and experience. The youngsters will gain a lot from the tournament."

"They can absorb so much seeing these players play. I am friends with all of them," he said.

Ritwik, who has won eight PSA tour titles till date, has been plagued by a chronic back problem of late but insists he is fit and working hard to pull off a good performance.

"I am training in Mumbai. Earlier in the year, I had gone for a month's training to Malaysia and a three-month training to France in April where I trained with World No.1 Gregory Gaultier.

"I had an injury in my lower back and I had to pull out of my favourite tournament Hong Kong Open. I played in Denmark but didn't have a good outing. I am working hard for this tournament and I am confident of performing well."

The first Indian squash player to participate in Commonwealth Games in Manchester in 2002, Ritwik is thrilled at the prospect of playing at home when the 2010 Games flag off here Oct 3 next year.

"It's been my dream since five years to play in the Commonwealth Games. I am trying to play as many tournaments as possible. My rankings have dropped at the moment but I am not unduly worried. In fact, I feel I am playing well," said Ritwik, who in 2006 had been ranked as high as 38th in the world.

"We definitely have a good chance in doubles. Sourav and I reached the World Doubles championships in Chennai two years back. But we both enjoy playing in singles a lot more and we are working hard on the singles play."