Interview: "The difference between good players and great players is the winning mentality" - Saurav Ghosal on his Asian Games exploits and ambitions for the future

Saurav Ghosal with his singles event Silver medal at the Incheon Asian Games 2014

Saurav Ghosal has been a trend-setter in Indian squash. From being the first Indian to have been junior World number 1, to winning India's first ever medal in Squash at the Asian Games, he has always been at the forefront of the game in India, and is now consistently one of the most dangerous players in the world. His heart-on-his-sleeve approach, and his desire to give it all during matches is something that makes for great viewing.

I caught up with him following his return from Incheon, where he led the Indian men to the Gold medal in the team event, and himself won the Silver in the individual event, just missing out on the Gold. Still only 28 and with great momentum, he is looking forward to breaking into the top 10 in the world, and establishing himself as a fixture there.

You have had a very intense last week. Describe how you feel right now having had some time to soak it all in.

The feeling is sinking in gradually but my happiness is beyond description. Since the moment we clinched the team gold, I have not been able to stop thinking about those winning seconds. I just came back home late last night and all I am trying to do is relax, both body and mind but I'm just overcome by the excitement and happiness.

It was a great moment of pride and honor not just for us as a team but for the country as well. When you really work hard for something and get the just rewards, you forget all your pain and disappointments. This is one of those moments.

I tried to plan a little as to what will I do when I get back home, but I just haven't been able to. Its just that I'm reliving all the moments at the Games in my mind, and when your mind is occupied by something so strongly, you fail to think about anything else happening around you.

From losing in the finals of the Singles event to Abdullah al Muzayen to defeating him in the deciding match of the team semi-final, did you have any thoughts of revenge running through your head?

I was glad to have delivered that performance for the team in the deciding match. As far as losing is concerned, honestly, I would say that Abdullah's performance in the final was special. In fact the game itself was very interesting that people started looking beyond the result. Of course being a competitive sport only one could win, but nevertheless the game was interesting.

Results count in the end, but the progression of the game talks about the quality of the match. Both of us played good Squash. He won one game while I won the other. If you think about it, no one looks to lose, and if it was in our hands, both of us would have liked to win both matches.

It is just a game. Even when I lost, i played a real good game and even he played his best when he lost in the team event. So basically there were no such thoughts of having to prove a point after losing in singles. Like always I just wanted to give my best in the game.

The Squash team had an immensely successful Asian Games, finishing with 4 medals. What would you attribute this success down to?

The team of Squash players has been working really hard for the last 5 to 7 years. These successes have made all those moments of disappointments and losses worthwhile. I would like to dedicate this success to all of us. Without the sheer hard work we have put in, nothing would have been possible.

During those days of learning and tough practice sessions, somewhere we were gradually progressing on the right track. As it is said, Rome was not built in a day. We are a bunch of committed individuals and the never say die attitude of we have retained has made us reach this point where we are certainly happy and it feels like we have certainly reached a milestone.

Nobody can win anything without putting in hard work and to go with it, the ability to cope up with disappointments and riding one’s luck are important too. We had the luck this time and so here we are. It also reflects our ability to bounce back every time when we had serious losses as an individual and as a team, that we have come so far.

There were times when there were series of disheartening results, but we accepted them and tried to improve ourselves every time. We stuck to our plans, we were there for each other. All these things do matter. Yes, we made sure we took small steps every day in the right direction

Ghosal after winning the decisive 2nd game in the team final which clinched the Gold medal for India

Having reached the quarterfinals in the last World Championships, you go into this year's tournament ranked 16th and with a lot of momentum. What are your expectations this year?

Every year the expectations remain the same and for me that finishes with giving my best. Yes, I do have my strategies and plans, some of which are event specific while some are generic but what remains constant is my daily practice, which helps me learn little things which do matter when I go out and play tournaments.

I am looking forward to the World Team Championships in Kuwait next year as part of the team, and as of now I will be focusing on my game. There are quite a lot talented players out there, so I need to keep myself prepared. Later on during the matches, I'll plan an individual strategy, but for now my focus is to just improve my game.

Your career has been full of major achievements - Ranked junior World no 1, winning the British juniors, Bronze and Silver at the Asiads, Arjuna award at the age of 21. What motivation do you draw from all your successes and how do they help you focus on what lies ahead?

I am an ambitious person. I look forward and my goal is always to get better results every time. Winning, success and good words of appreciation from others, all these things do encourage me but at the same time what encourages me more is the feeling of having learnt something new everyday. I am never satisfied and always want better results. That is the only way one can manage to be a consistent player.

When I lose, yes I am very disappointed that entire day, but then sitting back for long hours and thinking about the loss is not very smart and doesn't help in any way. I think the best way to deal with disappointment is to look forward. There are always many possibilities hidden in the future, all we need to do is look to explore them.

You are fairly active on social media. How has the interaction with fans at close quarters helped you?

I have been overwhelmed by the response that I've got from people on social media. After my loss in the singles event final, I got many messages from people across the globe and they were quite inspirational. It feels good when so many people try to make you feel better and it does act as a motivating agent.

Did your relocation to England help you finetune your game better?

Yes it did fine-tune my game and that was precisely the reason why I was there for 8 years. I got the best training from my coach Mr. Malcolm Willstrop. I am what I am today because of him. I think without him, nothing would have been possible. Starting from the basics to some of my strategies, he has helped me out at every step of my professional career, and I am glad to have trained under him.

Staying away from home is difficult for anybody and so it was for me too, but luckily I met some good people there, with whom I still am friends with and they made my stay easy and comfortable.

We've heard you are a big Manchester United fan. Have you been able to follow their games this season and do you see them getting back to the top soon?

Yes I do follow them, but then training and practice days make it tough for me to watch every game. Hence I follow it all on social media and through newspapers and keep myself updated. I am sure they will be back to the top very soon.

You are a big admirer of both Roger Federer and Sachin Tendulkar. What lessons have you learnt from them and their careers?

I believe there is a difference between good players and great players. They are great players. The reason why they are great is they have a strong winning mentality. For good players there are good days and bad days but great players find their way out even during bad days and that’s what the difference is all about. It is not like they don't lose, but it is just that they win more.

A message you'd like to share with our readers.

Squash is a fantastic game. You will know it if you will play it once. I would like to tell people of every generation that it is one of the best sports out there. Kids who are interested should take this game seriously and should try to make it more popular in the country in future.