By Mike Dale
England’s golden girl Georgina Kennedy is targeting a return to the PSA World Tour in America after Christmas.
The 25-year-old has withdrawn from the England team for the Women’s World Team Championship, which begins in Cairo on Saturday, but hopes for a return to competitive action when the Tour resumes in the New Year.
That could mean the Bronze level Corcoran Carol Weymuller Open in Brooklyn from January 11-15 but, if that’s too early, Kennedy is “99%” certain she’ll be fit for the returning Tournament of Champions at Grand Central Station, New York, from January 18-26.
As reported by SquashMad, Kennedy suffered her ‘worst ever flare-up’ of ulcerative colitis in the months after winning her gold medal at August’s Commonwealth Games. She has suffered with the condition for six years, but the sudden and severe onslaught of symptoms struck in September, later forcing her to withdraw from the Egyptian Open where she had made a premature comeback.
Kennedy has revealed that the ulcerative colitis is now “under control” – but it is the after-effects of a hamstring injury picked up at the South Western Open in Houston in September that is now causing most concern.
Kennedy slipped and fell awkwardly during her second-round match against Jasmine Hutton in Houston and was forced to retire in pain in the second game of her quarter-final against Nour El Tayeb the following day.
It was at that same point that her severe ulcerative colitis symptoms occurred – and prioritising that over the ensuing few months meant she never got proper rehabilitation treatment for the hamstring injury.
“My ulcerative colitis is now under control after an eight-week course of steroids,” Kennedy told SquashMad. “I’m getting a colonoscopy over Christmas time though to see what’s going on and what meds I need to turn to.
“It has been a very brutal few months! I’ve had to make the tough decision not to play at the World Teams so I’m experiencing a lot of FOMO right now!
“I’m hoping to be back to play the tournaments in January. I’m 99% sure I’ll be OK for the Tournament of Champions.”