Vitrikashenie and Vinikasheinie are identical twins that hope to become among the top 10 best squash players in the world. (Moganraj Villavan @ FMT Lifestyle pic)
SUBANG JAYA: People usually joke that having twins in the family are double the trouble but Vitrikashenie and Vinikasheinie Kulasegaran are proving them wrong.
The identical twins have already made quite a name for themselves in the sport of squash and they are now looking into the future, hoping to represent their country someday and take their rightful place among the top 10 in the world.
Commonly known as the Vs, both girls took up squash when they were just 11 years old.
“We started playing for fun after watching a close family friend play squash and that inspired us to take up the sport,” they told FMT, adding that when starting off they did not foresee coming so far in the game.
Now 16 years old, the two young girls have competed in many junior tournaments both nationally and internationally. One such tournament took place in China back in 2019 when they claimed the champion and runner-up titles in the Dalian International Junior Open.
The two train six times a week for two to three hours to ensure they are ready for any tournament. (Moganraj Villavan @ FMT Lifestyle pic)
Currently, the Vs are ranked top two in the state, top eight in the nation and top 15 in Asia. They are also the youngest players on the SUKMA team.
Most recently, the Vs clinched a victory, making their coach, family and fans back home proud at the Bangamata International Squash Tournament 2022, when Vinikasheinie claimed the champion title and took home the gold while her sister, Vitrikashenie took home the bronze.
The two young squash prodigies were the only representatives from Malaysia for the tournament and were extremely proud to represent their country on an international level.
“This was our first international professional circuit with participation from different countries and we are really proud of ourselves and what we achieved,” they said.
They are currently in their final year of secondary school and will sit for their SPM examination next year. Just like in squash, both girls plan to ace their examinations as well. “We sometimes wake up as early as 4am to do our homework or revise our work.”
Vitrikashenie and Vinikasheinie have competed in many local and international tournaments. (Moganraj Villavan @ FMT Lifestyle pic)
To say the two girls are all-rounders wouldn’t be stretching it – aside from studying as well as competing in squash tournaments, they also study Indian classical dance as well as the violin.
It’s a wonder how these two find the time to pursue activities outside of the classroom. “We have a set schedule that we follow with training every day except on …….
