Squash champion Veer Chotrani credits coach David Palmer after winning first PSA title in India
Squash champion Veer Chotrani credits coach David Palmer after winning first PSA title in India
Veer Chotrani, the SRFI Indian Tour Squash men’s champion, said on Wednesday that his long-time coach David Palmer, a former World No. 1, has completely transformed his game by “180 degrees.”
Chotrani beat Frenchman Melvil Scianimanico 3-11, 12-10, 11-6, 11-7 in the final at the SRFI Indian Tour Squash Championship to win his sixth PSA title and the first in India.
The 23-year-old Chotrani, who graduated from Cornell University in the U.S. last year, chose to go to college there since Palmer, an Australian, is the head coach of the Cornell Big Red men’s squash team.
“I’ve been working with him for six years now. And it has completely changed my game 180 degrees. Six years ago, I used to be not even close to how I’m playing right now. I’d give him all the credit for all the pressure sessions and all the work he puts in with me.
“I always had good hands and was a very flashy player when I was younger. I’ve gotten physically better and more disciplined now. And mentally stronger and more patient. When I was a junior, I used to try and finish the rallies very quickly. Now, I’m trying to rally as much as I can and outplay the opponent,” he said at the Indian Squash and Triathlon Academy (ISTA) here.
Though he has graduated now, he said he continues to train with Palmer. Last year, Chotrani became the first Cornell player to win the College Squash Association (CSA) men’s National individual championship. He also won the prestigious Skillman Award – the top honour in men’s collegiate squash in the U.S.
Talking about how beneficial the college squash circuit in the U.S. was, he said, “I had the best time of my squash career in my life. Winning the individual championship was one of my fondest memories in squash so far.
“The college circuit is extremely strong in terms of the quality of players. Everyone at the top of collegiate squash is playing PSA now. I had the fortune to play guys like Victor Crouin (France, World No. 15), Youssef Ibrahim (Egypt, World No. 14), and Aly Abou Eleinen (Egypt, World No. 13). So, I got the exposure.
“I got to play all those guys and learn from them. I saw the difference between how good they are and what’s lacking in my game. And that gave me a clear picture of how good you have to be at that level. It was an amazing experience for me.”
Saying that his immediate goal is to reach the top 50 (in the PSA rankings, currently 76) in the next few months, he recalled his first-ever PSA match in Chennai in 2021. “I lost in the first round. From that day onwards, I think I’ve done okay to be where I am.”
His father Manish Chotrani is a former two-time National champion. “I see his name there (on the honour boards at ISTA). I want to have my name on those boards as well,” said Chotrani junior, who’s a three-time Nationals semifinalist.
