Alan’s Blog

‘We believe safety and high performance can coexist with eye protection’  By ALAN THATCHER – Squash Mad Editor American number two Chris Hanson has done much more than simply join the current debate about eye safety in squash. The New York-based 29-year-old launched RIA Eyewear with long-time friend, Jordan Kemp, to create high-quality protective eyewear [...]

At the top level, performance takes priority over safety issues By ALAN THATCHER – Squash Mad Editor The subject of eye protection in squash hit the headlines again after England captain Daryl Selby suffered a freak eye injury in his National Championships match against Ollie Pett. With their first round match just a few minutes [...]

‘Players are having their temperature taken – over 37 degrees and you are sent home’ By ALAN THATCHER and ALEX WAN (First published on February 7. Updated on February 12) The outbreak of coronavirus in China has led to the postponement of the Macau Open and the Hong Kong Perrier Challenge. Sports events across Asia [...]

‘Squash is the greatest game in the world’ says Aussie legend Rhonda Thorne By ALAN THATCHER – Squash Mad Editor Maria Toorpakai, Nicol David, Joel Makin, Declan James, Daryl Selby, Greg Lobban, Campbell Grayson, Nick Matthew, Sarah-Jane Perry, Nick Taylor, Mike Harris, Brad Hindle, Rhonda Thorne, Ritwik Bhattacharya and Pakistani legends Jahangir Khan, Jansher Khan [...]

‘It’s a privilege to be doing what I’m doing’ says the man changing the face of squash in India By ALAN THATCHER – Squash Mad Editor Former Indian number one Ritwik Bhattacharya, a regular and talented competitor on the PSA World Tour for many years and now a successful coach and promoter, is staging one [...]

Another East Wintergarden sell-out on the cards  By ALAN THATCHER – Squash Mad Editor Squash is one of the fastest games on the planet – and squash fans need to be up to speed to grab the hottest tournament tickets in London. Tickets for the 2020 Canary Wharf Squash Classic go on general sale today [...]

11 Points With Ashraf Hanafi: ‘Our target is to be the biggest squash club in the world’ By ALAN THATCHER – Squash Mad Editor The Black Ball Sporting Club in New Cairo has enjoyed an outstanding first year of operations, staging two major professional tournaments and laying the foundations for future growth by implementing one [...]

‘Our goal is to build 100 of these centers’ Interview by ALAN THATCHER (Squash Mad Editor) The Manhattan Community Squash Center is planning to open its doors at the end of this month. With a number of New York squash clubs closing in the past decade or more, this is a much-needed addition to the [...]

For crying out loud, it’s always best to be Hand-In By ALAN THATCHER – Squash Mad Editor I know I’ve been banging on about the health benefits of our wonderful sport to promote World Squash Day, but it’s nice to have some professional support to back up all those claims. The best possible endorsement came [...]

Trip of a lifetime to watch the stars in action in Qatar By ALAN THATCHER – Squash Mad Editor Squash fans have the chance to watch the finals of the 2019-20 PSA World Championships in Doha, Qatar, and get the chance to meet their favourite participating players in a fantastic new promotion. As the official [...]

Sport England team up with medical profession to launch Active Charter By ALAN THATCHER – Squash Mad Editor Squash clubs have an amazing opportunity to play a leading role in delivering community health benefits .  As part of the advice given to clubs who take part in World Squash Day, I have been encouraging the [...]

Karakal kit bag and £250 grant lures clubs to sign up to WSD By ALAN THATCHER – Squash Mad Editor A big shout out to England Squash for launching a significant and successful development project in partnership with Karakal to encourage clubs to sign up to attract new members on World Squash Day. In what [...]

‘We can’t afford to send a team to America just for a joyride’ By ALAN THATCHER – Squash Mad Editor Squash in Pakistan slumped to a new low this week as the nation that once ruled the men’s game blamed their players as they defended their decision not to send a squad to compete in [...]

New courts spring up across the UK as Andy Murray invests in padel By ALAN THATCHER – Squash Mad Editor Squash clubs investing in adding padel tennis courts to their mix of facilities are reporting significant financial benefits. There are more than 60 padel courts in the UK, many of them built during the past [...]

‘He was a genius at work and a pleasure to play with’ says Nick Matthew By ALAN THATCHER – Squash Mad Editor Ramy Ashour’s retirement provoked a massive response from the global squash community, mixing sadness at his departure from the professional tour with enormous gratitude at the way his astonishing skills and smiling demeanour [...]