My parents separated when I was just six and this proved to be the first turning point in my personal life. I had to move from Chennai to Calcutta to live with my paternal grandparents who went on to influence my life in a big way. This changed my life in a way and helped me grow into a stronger person.

The second turning point came when I won my first Junior National Under-17 championship in Chennai at 15. This gave me the confidence to believe that I could actually achieve something big in the world of sports. Two years later, in 2004, when I won the British Junior Open Under-19 which elevated me to World Junior No. 1, the faith I had in myself was reinforced and I knew then that I could in fact turn pro and make a career in squash.

However, the most memorable turn in my career is bagging the bronze medal at the 2006 Asian Games in Doha. This made me the first Indian to have won the medal for squash.

Following this, another high-point came when I was conferred the Arjuna Award at 21. It was very exciting to receive the award from President Pratibha Patil at the Rashtrapati Bhawan.

After this, came a low phase when I suffered a foot injury last year. It took me three months to recuperate and my performance wasn’t up to the mark after that. This affected me negatively but I was back in form during the World Open in November last year and this restored my confidence. Right now I’m busy preparing for two tournaments — the British Open in London and the Mexico Squash Open that will be held later this month. I always aspire to play with the same zeal that I had as a child.

(As told to Lubna Salim)