Asian Games 2026: 'I was encouraged to quit playing' but Joshna Chinappa will compete in Aichi-Nagoya
Joshna Chinappa said she had been encouraged to quit playing but is competing for India at the 2026 Asian Games in Aichi-Nagoya. The veteran from Chennai is entered only in the women’s team event and the mixed doubles alongside Velavan Senthilkumar.
Chinappa is appearing at her seventh Asian Games, becoming the first Indian sportsperson to achieve that feat, and this participation comes 24 years after her Asian Games debut in Busan in 2002. On the PSA World Tour she remains India’s third-highest ranked woman, placed 73rd behind Anahat Singh (World No. 17) and Tanvi Khanna (World No. 71), and she has won 11 PSA titles. Most of her contemporaries — Nicol David (43), Laura Massaro (42), Jenny Duncalf (43), Alison Waters (42) and Annie Au (37) — have long retired, underlining her continued presence in the sport.
Chinappa is seeded third in the mixed doubles alongside Velavan Senthilkumar and received a bye in the first round of the draw. In the women’s team event she is part of India’s squad with Anahat Singh, Tanvi Khanna and Shameena Riaz, and the team enters the competition as the No. 3 seed.
A five-time Asian Games medallist, Chinappa described 2018 as her best Asiad performance, when she took singles bronze and a team silver. Reflecting on a pivotal moment from those Games she said: "It meant a lot because I have always looked up to her and admired how humble she is as a champion. I really wanted to do it for the team. She is one of the greatest of all-time. Coming in from the disappointment of losing singles and making the team final after beating a strong team like Malaysia was amazing!" — referring to her win over Nicol David in the 2018 women’s team semifinals.
Chinappa recounted long injury setbacks and the steps she took to return. "I tore my ACL on the right knee in 2011 and was out of the game for a year. I was encouraged to quit playing and get into coaching." She said she had no financial support at the time, moved to Bombay and worked with Egyptian physio and trainer Ahmed Youssef, with coach Ritwik Bhattacharya helping her return. Regarding the 2023 procedure she said, "I did the surgery more for quality of life as it was painful to do basic things like driving, getting out of bed comfortably and jogging." Her surgeon Dr. Jagdeesh, who had performed her ACL surgery, cleared her to compete again; she moved to Bengaluru, worked with Yash Pandey at Peak Performance and returned to the court after five months of rehab.
On the support behind her career she said, "The main reason I am able to still compete today is my parents. My team, including my coach, strength and conditioning trainer, physios, nutritionist and sports psychologist, has been amazing. The support from my sponsors, the State government, Central government and Squash Rackets Federation of India has been great." She also recalled an early Games memory from Busan: she wore a personal T-shirt in the Village food hall and "legendary hockey player Dhanraj Pillay told me that I had to be in my India clothing. It’s something we should always be proud of."
Her most recent Tour title came at the Japan Open in 2025, ending a ten-year wait for a crown; she said the victory felt special because she beat younger players ranked higher. "The difference now is that I am a lot more relaxed towards competing and I am more performance-oriented than result-focused. Maybe it just helps me enjoy and appreciate these moments more and play better squash." Saurav Ghosal praised her longevity, saying: "First and foremost, she really, really loves the game. She’s immensely talented, but she has also worked tirelessly on every aspect of her game to remain at the top for as long as she has. I hope that she comes back from the Asian Games with quite a few gold medals."
Seeded third in mixed doubles, the Velavan-Joshna duo will take on the fellow Indian pair of Suraj Chand and Shameena Riaz in the round of 16 after having received a bye in the first. In the women’s team event, No. 3-seeded India — with Anahat Singh, Tanvi Khanna and Shameena Riaz — has been drawn in Pool C alongside Japan, China and Iran.
