| SATISH JAGNANDAN |
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| 2004 USHA One-Wall Nationals Satish Jagnandan and John "Rookie" Wright |
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| His opponents aren't Castro, Kaplan, Lewis, Maisonet, Roberts, Sala or Sostre. They are Obert, Sandler and Durso. Satish Jagnandan isn't playing for today; he's competing for history. When he won his first USHA National Open Singles Title in August 2004, Jagnandan said he was more relieved and felt like "a ton of bricks" was lifted from his shoulders. "That quote reflected the truth of how I felt, I wasn't sure that I could win on the grandest stage, there's a certain aura about Coney Island (court 1) that you don't feel anywhere else - it just feels significant." Though he has earned the respect of the handball community with this victory, he has plenty of work to do to be compared to the greats. The easy-going, hard-hitting Jagnandan would trade several of his minor victories (through 2004) for another USHA National title. Let others play for money and prestige; he's playing for majors. "I measure my year on how well I do at the majors (ICHA Major�s Cup and USHA National)," Jagnandan said. Jagnandan is not the indifferent individual he pretends to be. While he gives the impression that he doesn't play with a passion, he deeply wants to be remembered as one of the best ever. "I don't think it's arrogant," Jagnandan said. "I'm not ashamed that I feel that I can actually do it." Yet, he is uncomfortable in the spotlight. He is a throwback to the days when gentleman played the sport of handball. "I could be abrasive (like Joe �Legend� Durso or John �Rookie" Wright) and get a lot more publicity, but that's not who I am. Sure, I respect Durso's talent and Wright�s intensity, but the players I admired most were the gentlemanly Al Torres, Eddie Archibald, Robert Sostre and Joe Kaplan, those guys were great guys." Since 2000, when he first returned to the game (after a 6 year hiatus), the 5-foot-7 Jagnandan has been one of the game�s top players. While he has a ferocious right hand and sensational serve, his greatest gift may be his will to win. He's not afraid to leave his guts on the courts. Jagnandan was born in Georgetown, Guyana, and grew up in the Bronx, New York. His father, Basdeo, was a statistician for the Department of Agriculture and his mother, Elsie, was an insurance consultant. He began playing handball at twelve under the tutelage of Joe Miratello at Bronx High School of Science. Coach Miratello was so impressed with the youngster's ability, he awarded him the captaincy and first singles position on the varsity handball team. When Jagnandan was 15, he won the first of two PSAL individual (iron horse) and school championships and had the opportunity to trade strokes with (Eddie) Archibald, one of his idol. "Satish was so nervous he couldn't keep the ball on the court," Miratello said. Through the sponsorship of Inner City Handball Association (ICHA) and Paul Williams Jagnandan continued his improvement and growth to become one of the city best junior players. Jagnandan believed playing against stronger and older players in ICHA youth handball tournaments helped develop the necessary skills and passion to be great. After high school, Jagnandan focus shifted, completing a B.S. in Chemistry, M.S. in Mathematics, and M.S. in Administration and Supervision. By the mid 1990s, he was completely out of the game as a result of reconstructive knee surgery (torn ACL). As part of his rehabilitation, he turned to handball and by 2000 was competing again. New coach Rene Franco showed Jagnandan the value of playing percentage handball - going for smart, conservative shots rather than flashy, difficult ones. On July 22, 2001, Jagnandan won his first of eleven open singles title. Jagnandan 2004 match record of 27-3 is the best among players on the One-Wall Pro Handball Tour. With five tournament victories, including his first USHA National and second ICHA Mayor�s Cup, he is only the second player in history to win both majors in the same year. Jagnandan credits his success to hard work and surrounding himself with the right people - his wife, parents, brother, coaches and friends. |
| BEDFORD PARK For a Rough-and-Tumble Sport, a Surprisingly Soft-Spoken King By PETER DUFFY Published: October 24, 2004 Handball, that quintessential, gritty New York street sport, has crowned an unlikely king. Satish Jagnandan, 28, didn't learn the game playing against local legends in his Bedford Park neighborhood in the Bronx. Instead, he learned it at the prestigious Bronx High School of Science, where he starred on the varsity team that won city championships in 1991 and 1992. Satish Jagnandan learned the angles of handball at Bronx Science. But the version of handball played in the controlled confines of a high school is much different from the street variety. It was only after graduating that Mr. Jagnandan, a thin, soft-spoken son of Guyanese immigrants, ventured into neighborhood handball, where trash-talking, betting and sometimes outright cheating are facts of life. "It was a disadvantage for me," he conceded in a conversation the other day in a hotel lobby near his office. "In the city game, you need to be mentally tougher.'' Undeterred, Mr. Jagnandan honed his game on the courts at Bailey Avenue near his home, sometimes practicing as much as six hours a day. He grew confident enough to enter tournaments, and even won some of them, but a serious knee injury in the mid-1990's forced him to sit out several years. But he continued his studies, earning a bachelor's degree from Fordham and two master's degrees from the City University, and then taught middle-school math and science in the Bronx. In 1999, Mr. Jagnandan eagerly returned to the sport. In 2000, he won the Peter Garcia Classic on his home court, a victory that launched his rise to the top. Last summer, Mr. Jagnandan used his devastating serve to help him win handball's two major singles titles - the Mayor's Cup at Orchard Beach and, the Super Bowl of handball, the Nationals in Coney Island. "All the old masters are there, watching," Mr. Jagnandan said of the scene at the hallowed Coney Island courts, just off Surf Avenue near the New York Aquarium. "And they expect greatness." Mr. Jagnandan gave it to them. "It makes him the player of the year," said Albert Apuzzi, a legendary player himself and an official with the United States Handball Association. "Right now, he's in the top two or three players around.'' If Mr. Jagnandan wins the Nationals several more times, he will join the ranks of the all-time greats. The handball season is winding down, but Mr. Jagnandan is still worried about getting enough practice time. He just started working as a textbook editor for McGraw-Hill, and he hopes to begin studying for a Ph.D. in mathematics in the hopes of becoming a college professor. His parents would like him to spend more time with his wife, Wandy Rosario. "I get gentle nudges and hints," he said. Mr. Jagnandan's defense against all these pressures is necessity. "It's like any other sport - you need to spend hours and hours practicing," he said. Success hasn't made the job any easier. "Now these guys are hunting for me." |
| 2004 USHA One-Wall Nationals Open Singles Champion: Satish Jagnandan |
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