Growing the game

Fontaine pledges closer ties with PSA to grow the game By HOWARD HARDING – Squash Mad International Correspondent In a New Year message to the global squash community, World Squash Federation President Jacques Fontaine hails a new era for the game after a challenging 2019. The recent appointment of William Louis-Marie as the Federation’s new [...]

Every sport has its aficionados; people who love to talk about the subtleties of the equipment. And squash is no different, from whether this string at this tension is better than that string and that tension to which racket weight and balance is perfect for which type of player. However, one thing we shouldn't be arguing [...]

Duncalf and Willstrop step down from PSA Board By SEAN REUTHE – Squash Mad Correspondent IntroEngland’s World No.8 Sarah-Jane Perry has been confirmed as the Professional Squash Association’s (PSA) Women’s President at the association’s annual AGM held today, December 9, in Leeds, England. The 29-year-old Perry, a Commonwealth Games silver medallist, replaces departing Women’s President [...]

SJP heads up the draw as Nicol aims to grow the game in Malaysia  By ALAN THATCHER – Squash Mad Editor Nicol David is working quickly to fill the void created by her recent retirement from international squash. She is keen to inspire the next generation of young talent in Malaysia and is inviting juniors [...]

‘First shot is always the most important’ By TONY GRIFFIN – Squash Mad Correspondent Stephen Hawking once said: “Intelligence is the ability to adapt to changes.” Maybe he was thinking of players like Nick Matthew and Laura Massaro, whose ability to adapt their techniques later in their careers led to them winning World Championship titles, [...]

‘Our stars are dotted all over the world but we are all working towards doing well at the 2022 Comm Games’ By ROD BANNISTER – Squash Mad Correspondent It’s a time of change for squash in Australia, with Lachlan Johnson moving in as the new High Performance Manager. Here he answers a few questions from [...]

Tribute to those behind World Squash Day events that reap social change and raise funds for good causes   By MIKE GREGSON, ALAN THATCHER and JAMES ROBERTS As a lone heron glided gently to its evening repose beside the swift-flowing River Ness, and the pipistrelles’ calls echoed through the willowbanks, there, unmistakeably, came the thump-thump-thump of [...]

Strewth! Aussie MPs get on court as World Squash Day serves up a treat on and off court By HOWARD HARDING – Squash Mad International Correspondent World Squash Day attracted thousands of new players as clubs across the planet opened their doors to showcase the sport on Saturday (October 12). A social media blitz and [...]

‘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 [...]

Nick Matthew leads massive day of action in England  By ALAN THATCHER – Squash Mad Editor PSA stars past and present are making a racket to support World Squash Day. Former world champion Nick Matthew is spearheading a week-long project at his lifelong training base, the Hallamshire Tennis and Squash Club in Sheffield. Matthew, who [...]

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 [...]

Former world champion offers free taster sessions at Hallamshire By ALAN THATCHER – Squash Mad Editor Former world champion Nick Matthew is leading a whole week of activities at the Hallamshire Club in Sheffield in the build-up to World Squash Day. Nick, who lifted the world title three times, alongside a hat-trick of British Open [...]

Move to attract more female coaches By DONNA HELMER – Squash Mad Correspondent Women’s Squash Week returns from September 23-29 to raise the profile of women’s squash across England and the world. The week-long campaign will celebrate and showcase women’s squash at every level from playing to coaching and highlight the contribution women make to [...]

“Squash à la Franglaise”: Nantes Open builds on Anglo-French “Squash Twinning” By JAMES ROBERTS – Squash Mad Reporter France and Britain: two great nations so close geographically and yet so different. We may take the mickey out of each other, with our “Frogs” and “Rosbif” jibes, but despite past conflicts, cultural differences and superficial disdain, [...]