WSA President Kasey Brown to retire

The Aussie beach is calling as Kasey plans to grow the game Down Under
By HOWARD HARDING – Squash Mad Correspondent

Kasey Brown, the world No19 from Australia and President of the Women’s Squash Association (WSA), has decided to retire from the WSA World Tour after competing in next week’s Delaware Investments US Open in Philadelphia.

Brown will continue to serve on the WSA Board until the end of her term of office.

A WSA member for the past 12 years, 29-year-old Brown reached 24 Tour finals and collected 11 titles including the Australian Open. Her biggest success came at the Greenwich Open in the USA in January 2011. Nine months later, she reached the US Open final for the first time and went on to achieve a career-high world No5 ranking in December 2011.

Away from the WSA Tour, Brown is a three-time Australian National Champion and became the only squash player to win three medals in the 2010 Commonwealth Games in Delhi – a gold and two bronzes – which she followed up at Glasgow 2014 with a further bronze in the Mixed Doubles.

“I think a player knows when it is time to retire from the tour and I’ve found great satisfaction in coaching and helping others achieve what they want out of squash,” said Brown, who hails from Taree in New South Wales but has been based in Greenwich in the USA for several years.

“I’ve been based oversees for a long time so it is great to have moved back to Australia and coaching at Tonic Squash and Gym on the Mornington Peninsula and working with Rodney Martin – you can’t beat the Australian beach!

“My aim now is to help promote squash and encourage participation in Australia through developing new facilities through McWil court distribution.

“It is very much an honour to serve as President of the WSA and huge thanks must go to Tommy Berden, Elliot Selby and the WSA Board for all of their hard work. I know the Women’s Tour is in good hands.

“Looking back at my career, I think the biggest highlight for me is the people that I have met and the amount of support I have received. I wouldn’t have achieved what I did without the support of so many people and I am very grateful for that. I do want to mention and thank my family, and Rod and Amelia Martin who supported me every step of the way – and also my sponsors Delaware Investments and Harrow Sports.”

WSA CEO Tommy Berden said: “Retirement decisions are never easy, even more so for such a determined and competitive professional as Kasey. She has been highly successful on the WSA World Tour for many years and has recently also shown her dedication and forward thinking in her new role as WSA President.

“It doesn’t come as a surprise that she has been chosen as director of coaching of Tonic Squash and Gym in Dromana, which gives her the opportunity to return back to Australia after a long time away from home. We look forward to seeing Kasey compete one more time at the US Open and are happy that she will stay on as WSA’s President for the remainder of her term.”

England’s world champion Laura Massaro and fellow WSA board member added: “I was really sad to hear of Kasey’s retirement. She is a great player and someone I respect hugely. Every time I stepped on court with her I knew what a tough match it would be. She gave her all to her squash and I know that will continue in whatever the future brings. I wish you the best of luck Kasey.

“It’s been a privilege to have Kasey alongside me on the board. Her organisation, commitment and passion for the game have shone through over the last 10 months in her role as President. She always has the best interest of women’s squash at the forefront of her mind and I can’t thank her enough for the work she has done for WSA.”

For all the latest WSA Tour news: wsaworldtour.com

 

Picture courtesy of WSA