Chennai, DEC 1: Not that she was expected to do much against sixth seed Daphne Jelgersma of The Netherlands in the Wwomen's International Squash Professionals (WISPA) squash championship here. Still, her showing on Monday was rungs below her capability. The reigning National women's champion Mekhala Subedar blamed it on lack of exposure at the international level. She has barely managed four tournaments in the WISPA circuit in two years. With no one to fund her expenses, the Mekhalas of Indian squash are resigned to fate that of not reaching the levels they aspire for.Mekhala feels she must play a minimum of five tournaments in a calendar year. Perched at 110 in World rankings, she hopes to break into the top 30. Admittedly, she was beaten fair and square by a player ranked 40 in the World on Monday. But the match was an important lesson for the Nashik girl. ``Only when you get to play higher-ranked players you begin to believe in yourself. It's fine to be the queen in the domestic scene, but only up to a point. With the field confined to a very few, there are few avenues to make giant strides.''Mekhala is in dire need of a sponsor who could meet her expenses, at least her air fare. Playing in the Malaysian Open this year turned out be a good experience, but she had to meet the expenses on her own, swelling to Rs 50,000. Additionally, she has to cough up Rs 10,000 every year for being part of the WISPA circuit. Having turned pro, she spends nearly 12 hours a day in exercises and practice sessions. A lucrative job could help the first year Master of Arts student, but she feels it could hamper her training schedule.It is make or break time for Mekhala. At 22, she has to break into the higher league. She is willing to give it a decent shot. But then .
