As India looks ahead to squash’s Olympic debut at the Los Angeles 2028 Games, the Chiripal Group has launched Squash Excellence Programme with an eye to strengthen India’s talent pipeline and create a more sustainable ecosystem for the sport.The Chiripal Squash Excellence Programme works closely with the All Gujarat Squash Rackets Association and the Squash Rackets Federation of India to organise activities across Gujarat and beyond. Its efforts have included clinics for young players, training camps and competition opportunities designed to expose emerging talent to a more professional sporting environment.Over the past year, the programme has brought over 1,000 athletes to participate in its camps, clinics and competitions, while seven promising players are currently being supported through the initiative.Ronak Chiripal, promoter of the Chiripal Group said the programme focuses on getting more people to participate at grassroots level and provide allied facilities such as clinics, coaching and competitions to get the right talent for the sport.In a recent camp, former Egyptian professional and coach Andrew Shoukry was roped in to bring international expertise to Indian squash and expose players to the standards that have helped Egypt dominate the sport for decades.“My experience for the last 10 days exceeded my expectations. The hunger is there, and the perspective of the game has changed so much in the last couple of years,” said Shoukry.Professional player and Asian Games medallist Ramit Tandon said the next phase of growth must focus on the ecosystem around athletes, not just the athletes themselves.“We need to bring foreign talent. We need to bring foreign coaches, and we need to get the best players in the country training and sparring with each other,” Tandon said.The company sees sport development as a collaborative effort that requires corporates, federations, coaches and athletes to work together.“The idea is to create culture of sports, infrastructure and ecosystem where more people can participate,” said Chiripal.Founded in 1972, Chiripal Group is a diversified conglomerate built on over five decades of manufacturing expertise. From its origins in textiles in Ahmedabad, the Group has steadily expanded into multiple sectors, including packaging, petrochemicals, infrastructure, education, biofuels and renewable energy.Published on August 6, 2026