Dipika Pallikal facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Dipika Pallikal

Full name	Dipika Rebecca Pallikal Karthik
Country	India
Born	Dipika Pallikal (1991-09-21) 21 September 1991 (age 33) Kottayam, Kerala, India
Height	164 cm (5 ft 5 in)
Weight	69 kg (152 lb)
Turned Pro	2006
Retired	Active
Plays	Right-handed
Coached by	Sarah Fitz-Gerald
Racquet used	Tecnifibre
Women's singles
Highest ranking	No. 10 (December 2012)
Current ranking	No. 19 (August 2016)
Title(s)	11
World Open	QF (2011)
Medal record Women's squash Representing  India World Championships Gold 2022 Glasgow Doubles Gold 2022 Glasgow Mixed doubles Gold 2024 Glasgow Doubles Gold 2024 Glasgow Mixed doubles Silver 2016 Darwin Mixed doubles Bronze 2016 Darwin Doubles Bronze 2017 Manchester Doubles Commonwealth Games Gold 2014 Glasgow Doubles Silver 2018 Gold Coast Doubles Silver 2018 Gold Coast Mixed doubles Bronze 2022 Birmingham Mixed doubles Asian Games Gold 2022 Hangzhou Mixed doubles Silver 2014 Incheon Team Bronze 2010 Guangzhou Team Bronze 2014 Incheon Singles Bronze 2018 Jakarta Singles Bronze 2022 Hangzhou Team Asian Championships Gold 2012 Kuwait Team Gold 2023 Hangzhou Mixed doubles Silver 2017 Chennai Singles
Last updated on: 13 April 2022.

Dipika Pallikal (born September 21, 1991) is a famous Indian professional squash player. She made history by becoming the first Indian player to reach the top 10 in the world rankings.

About Dipika Pallikal

Early Life and Family

Dipika Pallikal was born in Kottayam, India. Her mother, Susan Pallikal, was also a talented athlete. She played international cricket for the Indian women's team. This included India's very first women's Test match in 1976.

Becoming a Pro Squash Player

Dipika started her professional squash career in 2006. At first, her journey had its ups and downs. But after training in Egypt in 2011, she became much stronger. She started winning more consistently.

Dipika's Amazing Career

Winning Tournaments

In September 2011, Dipika won her first of three WISPA (Women's International Squash Players Association) titles. She won the Orange County Open in California. She then won another WISPA event in the United States. Her third win was in Hong Kong at the Crocodile Challenge Cup in December 2011. These wins helped her reach number 17 in the world rankings.

Her great performance at the World Open helped her ranking even more. By February 2012, she was ranked 14th in the world. This was the highest ranking ever for an Indian squash player at that time!

Breaking New Ground

In January 2012, Dipika became the first Indian to reach the final of a "Silver event." This was at the Tournament of Champions in New York. Later that year, she made it to the semi-finals of a "Gold event," the 2012 Australian Open. This was another first for an Indian player.

Dipika was a key player for the Indian squash team. The team finished fifth in the 2012 Women's World Team Squash Championships. They even beat higher-ranked teams like the Netherlands and Ireland. She won her sixth WSA title in February 2013 in Canada.

Reaching World No. 10

In December 2012, Dipika reached her highest-ever ranking: World No. 10. She was also the first female squash player to receive the Arjuna Award in 2012. This is India's second-highest award for sports.

In February 2014, she returned to the top 10 in the Women's Squash Association (WSA) rankings.

Commonwealth Games Gold

At the 2014 Commonwealth Games, Dipika and her partner Joshna Chinappa won the gold medal in women's doubles squash. This was India's very first Commonwealth Games medal in squash!

Joshna Chinappa with Pallikal Karthik, 2012

Fighting for Equality

From 2012 to 2015, Dipika chose not to play in the National Championship. This was because the prize money for women was much less than for men. She believed in equal pay for equal effort. Because of her stand, equal prize money was finally agreed upon for the 2016 championships. She then played and won the title for the second time!

Recent Successes

In February 2016, Dipika was part of the Indian Women's team that won gold at the South Asian Games. In August 2016, she won the Australian Open, which was her 11th professional title.

Major Titles and Achievements

Here are some of Dipika's top achievements:

Event	Year	Result
Winnipeg Winter Club Open	2015	Winner
Macau Squash Open	2013	Winner
Meadowood Pharmacy Open	2013	Winner
Australian Open	2012	Semi-finals
Tournament of Champions	2012	Runner-up
Crocodile Challenge Cup	2011	Winner
World Open	2011	Quarter-final
Dread Sports Series	2011	Winner
Orange County Open	2011	Winner

Awards and Recognition

Dipika has received several important awards for her contributions to squash.

Pallikal Karthik receiving the Arjuna Award in 2012

Personal Life

Dipika Pallikal studied English at Ethiraj College for Women. In 2013, she got engaged to Indian cricketer Dinesh Karthik. They got married in August 2015. In October 2021, they welcomed twin boys named Kabir and Zian.