HANGZHOU: Embracing motherhood comes with a price. They have to put family before careers. But the world of sports is still replete with stories of women sportspersons juggling professional careers and motherhood. At 32 years, Indian squash's leading lady, Dipika Pallikal, is a shining example of that.
Dipika, who is married to Indian cricketer Dinesh Karthik, gave birth to twin boys - Kabir and Zian - on 18 October 2021. She returned to the circuit not long after in 2022 to clinch both the women's doubles and mixed doubles titles at the World Championships in Glasgow.
On Thursday, partnering another old warhorse Harinder Pal Sandhu, she created history after claiming India's first-ever mixed doubles gold medal in squash at the Asian Games.
Dipika and Harinder scored a stellar come-from-behind victory against the Malaysian pair of Aifa Azman and Mohammad Kamal to continue India's gold rush at the ongoing Games. The top-seed Indians scored a 11-10, 11-10 win over the second-seeded Malaysians.
Dipika, a 2014 Glasgow Commonwealth Games gold medallist in women's doubles, had earlier combined with Joshna Chinappa, Anahat Singh and Tanvi Khanna to win the team bronze in Hangzhou.
"As mothers, we could be sacrificing a lot of things but that doesn't mean we have to give up on our dreams. I think it's important for every woman to feel empowered, to also know that it's ok to take the time off for what you love to do. It's ok to have kids and make a successful comeback," Dipika said.
"I know that guilt will always be there… the guilt of leaving my kids alone for two weeks. But I know that I am doing something worthwhile and, when they grow up, they will realise that their mother wasn't holidaying in Hangzhou but working hard to win a medal for the country, and for them. I am happy that people can look up to me and know that they still have careers after having kids," she continued.
In the final, India trailed their opponents in both games. In the first game, Dipika and Harinder rallied to overcome a four-point deficit before pocketing the opener.
In the second, Indians enjoyed a comfortable lead of seven points at 9-2 and were just two points away from claiming the title. However, Harinder suddenly lost pace in his game, leaving Dipika to put in the hard yards. The Malaysians racked off eight points in a row to lead Indians by 10-9, and the match looked heading into the decider.
Dipika and Harinder then had an animated discussion on the court, following which they changed gears and engaged the Malaysians in frequent drop shots and cross-court winners to not only save two crucial match points but to emerge triumphant in a nerve-wrecking final.
"I had to control my emotions on the court," Harinder said, "It was crazy, and the need was to stay positive. It wasn't a great sight to see losing the lead. I wasn't doing well on the court. It was like a kid going to school. When a kid loses track, the teacher comes in and she is always there in your ears. Dipika did that job very well. She put me back on track. I am happy that we could finish it off on a high note."
Talking about their camaraderie, Dipika said: "We have grown up together. Being squash players, you are always hanging out with each other… in training and during tournaments. We try to make memories together. So, for both of us, it was special to win (Indian squash) first ever mixed doubles title. It just turned out to be an unbelievable tournament for us."
"It's a complete blur now," added Dipika, "Harry and I remember only one thing, which is the last point that we won. It was tough in the end."
