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 South Asian Games Gold 2016 Guwahati Team
Last updated on: 13 April 2022.

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

About Dipika Pallikal

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

Dipika's Squash Journey

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 more consistent. She started winning many tournaments.

Early Wins and Rankings

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

Her strong performance at the World Open also boosted her ranking. She reached the quarterfinals there. By February 2012, she was ranked 14th in the world. This was the highest ranking ever for an Indian squash player at that time. She surpassed the previous record held by Misha Grewal from 1995.

Breaking New Ground

In January 2012, Dipika became the first Indian to reach the final of a major squash event. This was the Tournament of Champions in New York. Later that year, in August, she went even further. She reached the semi-finals of the 2012 Australian Open. This was another first for an Indian player.

Dipika was a key member of the Indian squash team. The team finished fifth in the 2012 Women's World Team Squash Championships. India, who were ranked tenth, beat stronger teams like the Netherlands and Ireland. In February 2013, she won her sixth WSA title. She defeated Joey Chan of Hong Kong in the final of the Meadowood Pharmacy Open in Canada.

Reaching Top 10 and Awards

In December 2012, Dipika achieved her highest career ranking: World No. 10. She was the first female squash player to receive the Arjuna Award in 2012. This is India's second-highest sports award. In February 2014, she returned to the top 10 in the Women's Squash Association (WSA) rankings.

At the 2014 Commonwealth Games, Dipika and Joshna Chinappa won a gold medal. They won in the women's doubles squash event. This was India's first-ever Commonwealth Games medal in squash. In January 2015, Dipika won her 10th professional tour title at the Winter Club Open.

Standing Up for Equal Pay

Dipika did not play in the National Championship between 2012 and 2015. This was because the prize money for women was much lower than for men. Women winners received only 40% of what men winners received. Equal prize money was finally agreed upon for the 2016 championships. Dipika then played and won the title for the second time. She defeated Joshna Chinappa in the final.

In February 2016, she was part of the Indian Women's team that won a gold medal at the South Asian Games. She continued her excellent form by winning the Australian Open in August 2016. This was her 11th professional title.

Major Tournament Wins

Joshna Chinappa with Pallikal Karthik in 2012

Here are some of Dipika's notable wins and achievements on the WSA tour:

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

Pallikal Karthik receiving the Arjuna Award in 2012

Dipika Pallikal has received several important awards for her achievements:

Personal Life

Dipika Pallikal studied English at Ethiraj College for Women. On November 15, 2013, she got engaged to Indian cricketer Dinesh Karthik. They had two wedding ceremonies in August 2015. One was a traditional Christian wedding, and the other was a Hindu wedding. On October 18, 2021, Dipika and Dinesh became parents to twin boys, Kabir and Zian.