Commonwealth Games shadow squad named
Squash Australia has named a 16-strong shadow squad for the 2014 Commonwealth Games in Glasgow next year.
Eight men and eight women make up the squad, with selectors to finalise the 10-person team closer to the Games.
The squad includes 2010 Commonwealth Games Gold Medalists Cameron Pilley and Kasey Brown, 2006 Gold Medalist Rachael Grinham and former world number one and two-time world champion David Palmer.
Squash Australia CEO Gary O’Donnell said Australia would be fielding its strongest possible team for the Glasgow Games.
“Australian squash has a proud history at the Commonwealth Games and we expect that success to continue in 2014.
“Squash is an incredibly strong sport among Commonwealth countries and the competition is always fierce, but I expect that our athletes will once again feature prominently on the medal dais.”
The squad includes eight players with previous Commonwealth Games experience: Pilley, Brown, Grinham, Palmer, Ryan Cuskelly, Donna Urquhart, Lisa Camilleri and Melody Francis.
Urquhart and Cuskelly both won bronze medals at Delhi, in the women’s and men’s doubles respectively.
Joining them are Zac Alexander, Sarah Cardwell, Mike Corren, Steve Finitsis, Rex Hedrick, Matthew Karwalski, Christine Nunn and Tamika Saxby.
Squash Australia is holding two specialist doubles camps this year, in Glasgow and Darwin both of which will include match play with a number of the Commonwealth nations who will feature at the 2014 Games.
O’Donnell added: “The preparation of the Glasgow squad would not be possible without the support of the Australian Commonwealth Games Association and the Australian Sports Commission, which Squash Australia greatly appreciates.”
The squad
Zac Alexander (Qld)
Age: 24
Lives: New York
Kasey Brown (NSW)
Age: 27
Lives: Greenwich, Connecticut
Lisa Camilleri (Qld)
Age: 28
Lives: Brisbane
Sarah Cardwell (Vic)
Age: 21
Lives: Melbourne
Mike Corren (SA)
Age: 39
Lives: Adelaide
Ryan Cuskelly (NSW)
Age: 25
Lives: New York
Steve Finitsis (Qld)
Age: 30
Lives: Amsterdam
Melody Francis (Vic)
Age: 24
Lives: Melbourne
Rachael Grinham (Qld)
Age: 36
Lives: Brisbane
Rex Hedrick (Vic)
Age: 24
Lives: Melbourne
Matthew Karwalski (NSW)
Age: 27
Lives: Port Stephens (NSW)
Christine Nunn (ACT)
Age: 22
Lives: Canberra
David Palmer (NSW)
Age: 36
Lives Orlando, Florida
Cameron Pilley (NSW)
Age: 30
Lives: The Hague
Tamika Saxby (NSW)
Age: 20
Lives: Brisbane
Donna Urquhart (NSW)
Age: 26
Lives: Brisbane