CAPE TOWN’S WORLD SQUASH DAY

 

Saturday 23rd May – WORLD SQUASH DAY

Tournament organiser, Peter Erasmus & club comittee member, Mark Abrahams

Last People Standing

Villager Squash Club

YEAH for the Olympics!

Excited Claremont Primary School players

Squash Ambassador Speech

Fishoek Squash Club

Squash, the proudly South African way

In Cape Town,  South Africa, Villager Squash Club hosted a “Last Man Standing” Tournament in celebration of World Squash Day. It turned out that the tournament should have been titled “Last Person Standing” since a woman, Siyoli Lusaseni, was crowned the Champion, after 5 hours of squash and 24 games with different squash enthusiasts.

Fishoek Squash Club also hosted a “Six minute” Tournament, where a player could find themselves playing against the current South African Male Champion, Steve Coppinger or the former South African Champion Rodney Durbach.

There was lots fo squash fun, prizes and south african boerewors and braais enjoyed by all.
Also, some wonderful pictures were taken at the Cape Town V&A Waterfront with the backdrop of Table Mountain.

Cape Town, South Africa fully supports the 2016 Olympic Bid!!

For other world celebrations, visit: www.worldsquashday.com

WORLD SQUASH DAY – 23RD MAY

SOUTH AFRICA

Squash Olympic Ambassador

 

The 23rd of May is World Squash Day. Squash has been fighting a tough battle to get squash into the 2016 Olympics.

This August, the International Olympic Commitee will choose two sports to participate in the 2016 Olympics. The sports competing for this coveted entry are:  Squash, Golf, Karate, Rugby Sevens, Rollersports, Baseball & Softball.

The World Squash Federation will be making one final presentation before appointed IOC members in June. We need to show them that all squash playing nations are behind them. We need to show that South Africa gives her full support.

WE WANT SQUASH TO BE IN THE OLYMPICS!!!

To win an Olympic medal is every athletes dream. I know it would be perfect way to crown a wonderfully successful squash career.

ZWOLLE OPEN

The Dutch Corner: Orla Noom, Lisette Enschweiler, Cigany Sillevis, Melissa Meulenbelt, Dagmar Vermeulen & Annelize Naude

Club members and supporters, along with Hendrik who is appointed to look after me!

Deon Saffery (Welsh World No. 53) & Kylie Lindsay (New Zealand World No.50)

Kathryn Rohrmueller (German No.1, World No.133) & Sina Wall (German No.2, World No.136)

French Corner: Maud Duplomb (World No.76), Laura Pomportes (World No.111) & Celia Allamargot (World No.65)

Kerri Lancaster (English World No.106) & Carrie Hastings (English World No.140)

Linda Hruzikova (Slovakian World No.92) & Milja Dorenbos (Dutch World No.158)

 

Bad news i’m afraid:

I didn’t make it into the draw!! My world ranking was one place away from making the cut!
Even though i knew this could be the potential outcome, it doesn’t mean it doesn’t hurt a little.
But, there’s no reason to be bitter. I’ll be ok.

Moving on swiftly…

Tomorrow i have a “friendly” lined up with Laura Pomportes (French World No.111). Tonight i could have had a friendly with Linda Hruzikova (Slovakian World No.92), but unfortunately she ate too many cakes after she lost her first round match!!! Then she had the audacity to offer me some!! What a horror!!!!!!!!!

TRAINING in NETHERLANDS

I must say i do look good next to this machine! 🙂

Dagmar & me – two very sweaty ladies!

Bas – he killed me on the bike

Edwin & Stephan

…and off we go!

 

 

Saturday
I arrived form Germany via rail, with full knowledge that my first training sesssion would begin 30 minutes after my arrival. This consisted of some skill drills with Dagmar and match practice with some local male players, Stephan & Karel.

 Sunday
This is quite a busy day in the club. A 45 minute spinning class with Dagmar started my day. Somehow I have managed to avoid this kind of torture all my life. The fear has been overcome! It is a great workout, especially for low impact on the joints.

One of the popular modes of transport here in this town is bicycles. So, these muscles do need some direct training. My cycle to the club is 20min. Sunday was a fun day of figuring out my way around Zwolle. A match with a former Dutch Men’s Top 10 player was played later.

Monday
Another 45 minute spinning class started my day, this time with another trainer called Bas.  The intensity was higher, and in the last 3 minutes, my legs no longer wanted to “climb any hills”!!!

That session was soon followed by a solo session, and later, shot specific training with Stephan.

In the afternoon, we had a pliometrics session. This involves a series of exercises and jumps using a floor laddder, skipping rope, differently heighted hurdles, a medicine ball,  just to name a few. One hour and half later, i was very ready to go home and lie with my feet in the air!

Tuesday
The 5th of May is a very important day on the Dutch Calendar as it marks their day of independence after the second world war. The city of Zwolle was chosen to host the celebrations festival which would see over 150 000 people come and watch various bands play.

In the morning, i was joined by the 19 year old Edwin for my solo session, just to show him more effective ways of training by himself.
I later played a match vs Dagmar and won 3-1.

Wednesday
REST DAY with some pilates stretching in the evening.

Welcome to the NETHERLANDS

Zwolle, is a not-as-famous-as-Amsterdam city in the Netherlands, home to Dagmar Vermeulen, a Dutch National Squash player.
The squash club where she trains, called Squash & Cardiofit Centrum, is a very trendy looking club. This newly renovated establishment will be hosting the next WISPA tournament this weekend, the ZWOLLE OPEN.

This tournament sees Annelize Naude as the No.1 seed. I have also been entered and initially obtained a qualifying spot. Tourmanent rules state that the tournament organiser may give out 4 wild cards to local players who fall outside the required world rankings. Unfortunately for me, the maximum wild cards were given out after the closing date…which now means I am the 2nd reserve to qualify. Best thing to pray and hope for is that at registration on Friday 12h00, a miracle happens which finds me  somehow entered into this tournament. It would be great for world ranking points, and the perfect tournament to realistically aim to fight through each round.

In the meantime, back to the squash office. The training must go on!!

To view the squash club, visit: www.squashzwolle.nl

Entrance to the squash club

Squash & Cardiofit Centrum

The bar area

The lounge area

Dagmar and some staff

Germany Round Up

The visit to Germany was once again very uplifiting and encouraging. Sometimes, a wake up call is needed where we are settling in our comfort zone.

This squash club in Paderborn is also a great example of a club that is constantly getting people involved in the game. I visited a session for university students, behaved like a little celebrity and passed on a few helpful squash tips.

In my last day in Germany, i happened to meet an Aremish speaking family – a wonderful mix of eastern european people.
Googbye to Pardeborn, for now. Next time, i was told, i must stay for longer because the last time i did, great results were achieved.
That could an idea…now let’s get the sponsors moving!!

 

My brief moments of fame…not quite!

Frederic

This family remimded me of a wonderful African Family

NEW WORLD RANKING for MAY

May 2009: World No.176

April 2009: World No.189

March 2009: World No.188

February 2009: World No.210

January 2009: World No.249