Unlikely to travel with team to Commonwealth Games

Foreign coach Achraf El Karargui has slammed the ‘high-handed’ and ‘unprofessional’ approach of national squash federation SRFI and his return to India looks highly unlikely with less than three weeks to go for the Commonwealth Games in Gold Coast.

Speaking from his hometown Alexandria in Egypt, the coach claimed that the SRFI did not give him the treatment he deserved, forcing him to step down much before his contract expires in July 2019.

Despite the growing differences with the SRFI, the Egyptian had committed to stay till the April 4-15 Commonwealth Games for the sake of the players, but a series of events which unfolded in the lead up to the Windy City Open in Chicago has made him rethink on his decision.

“The SRFI treated me unprofessionally and questioned my decision-making more often than not. You can’t expect anyone to operate as usual in such a scenario. I want to be there for the players at CWG but it is best for them to go ahead without me as there is too much distraction,” an emotional Karargui said.

“The players need to be fully focused on court rather than on what is happening off court,” he said.

The SRFI officials and national coach Cyrus Poncha remained unavailable for a response on the coach’s claims.

Sports Authority of India, however, said Karargui is on leave till March 10 and would come back to coach the team in the Commonwealth Games.

What led to the breakdown in relations between Karargui and the SRFI was that the coach was not clear about his flight itinerary even four hours before he was to take off for Chicago from Chennai for the February 20-28 Windy City Open. All leading players — Dipika Pallikal, Joshna Chinappa and Saurav Ghosal — played in Chicago.

On the way back, Karargui was supposed to train Dipika and men’s player Harinder Pal Sandhu in Alexandria before returning to Chennai. Sandhu got injured and could not travel to Egypt but Dipika went ahead with the plan and is still in Alexandria training with Karargui.

“The federation cleared that plan of me going to Alexandria from Chicago for two weeks and return on March 10. But on day of the flight they said I have to come back straight to Chennai from Chicago. That was not acceptable to me so I did not go to Chicago with the team and went home instead. It was not first time that something like this happened and I had it enough,” he explained.

Upset at SRFI’s attitude, Karargui took leave from February 20-26 and headed home. He continues to train Dipika in Alexandria and says he is on duty.

This off-the court chaos was the last thing that players wanted ahead of an important assignment like the Commonwealth Games, where Dipika and Joshna had won a historic gold in women’s doubles.