Chennai: Faces Around Joshna Chanpa have changed with each round of the Asian Games. Teammates have retired and rivals have faded, yet as the countdown to the 2026 Asian Games begins, the 39-year-old is still going strong. Twenty-four years after her debut as a teenager in Busan 2002, Joshna is set to appear at the continent’s biggest sporting spectacle for a record seventh time, making her the most capped Indian athlete at a continental multi-sport event.When she takes the court in Aichi-Nagoya this September, Joshna will outshine squash player Soro Ghosal, with whom she competed in six Asian Games in Hangzhou four years ago. Joshna’s fellow Chennai-eight, paddler Achanta Sarath Kamal, has played five times with tennis legend Lander Paes.“Normally, longevity in sports is often seen in men, and it is not easy for women. Yet Joshna has managed to push forward and ensure that she continues to play at the highest level. She is not only representing the country, but also competing for medals and performing exceptionally well.” “I know what it takes to stay fit after a certain age, and it’s not easy. She keeps saying, ‘Shrath, how do you do it (stay fit)?’ Now I’m like, ‘Okay, how do you do it?’ The older she gets, the fitter she is getting,” added Shrath.Ever since she became India’s youngest national champion at the age of 14 in 2001, Joshna’s mantra has been simple. “I only think about one match at a time and nothing beyond that,” she says with a smile – whether it’s her recovery from knee surgery or her plans for the future.That simple reaction hasn’t changed and helped him get back to where he is today at the elite level. A former world No. 10, she once again broke into the top 100 in the world rankings and is currently India’s second-highest ranked player behind Delhi girl Anahit Singh.Five-time Asian Games medalist Joshna said after winning all her matches at the Asiad Trials on Sunday, “I was playing pretty decently after my surgery and then thought why not continue and see if there’s anything left in me. I’ve been very focused on just training and playing for the past few years and that’s what helped me.”But Joshna’s road has been far from smooth. He underwent surgery twice, most recently a major knee operation on his right leg in December 2023, shortly after the Hangzhou Asiad. The injury left Joshna facing one of the toughest challenges of her career. She could have easily walked away with enough success already, but she chose otherwise. What really sets Joshna apart is her fighting spirit, a trait that enables her to excel in a demanding sport. In typical fashion, the veteran battled back in 2025 by winning her first PSA Challenger title in over a decade and was later part of the World Cup-winning team.
