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18-Jun-2010:
KITCHEN BACK FOR
COMMONWEALTH GAMES
A familiar face is back in the New Zealand squash team
named for the
Commonwealth Games in Delhi later this year ... |
 Shelley
Kitchen has been selected in the six-strong squad named
by the New Zealand Olympic Committee today. The former world
number six gave birth to her first child in February, but
has returned to the court with renewed enthusiasm and is
looking to add to the silver and bronze medals she won in
Melbourne four years ago.
Kitchen will team up with world number 14 Jaclyn Hawkes
in the women's doubles, and Campbell Grayson in the
mixed event. Both combinations claimed gold at last year's
Australian Doubles Championships in Melbourne.
There is also a second women's pairing, Joelle King
and Tamsyn Leevey, two players at opposite ends of
their careers. King is the rising star of New Zealand squash
and is fast making a name for herself on the international
circuit. The 21-year-old is already ranked number 20 in the
world, climbing more than 30 places in the last 12 months.
She has claimed four titles on the WISPA world tour in that
time, picking up some impressive victories along the way
including two against Australian Rachael Grinham, one of the
world's top five ranked players at the time.
In contrast, Leevey has flown under the radar in recent
years, retiring from the international circuit in 2006 for
family and business reasons. However, she has never been far
from the court and is back with a vengeance looking to add
to the silver medal she won in the women's doubles with
Shelley Kitchen at the Melbourne Games four years ago.
Meanwhile, King will also play the mixed doubles with world
number 42 Martin Knight, while Knight and Grayson
will be playing partners in the men's doubles. New Zealand's
top two ranked men's players have established a great
understanding in doubles squash, winning silver at last
year's Australian Doubles Champs in Melbourne and fourth in
the Commonwealth Games in 2006.
Five of the six New Zealand team will also line up in the
singles in Delhi this year, with Tamsyn Leevey the
exception.
New Zealand Olympic Committee Secretary General says the
team to Delhi is building rapidly with squash the fifth of
an estimated sixteen teams to be named. "The Commonwealth
Games are a wonderful celebration of elite sport and a
shared Commonwealth history. I'm delighted we have been able
to name a strong squash team on top of the exciting New
Zealand athletes already selected," he said. "We're looking
forward to honouring the memory of Sir Ed and Tenzing at
Delhi in October."
The team is:
Shelley Kitchen - Auckland
Jaclyn Hawkes - Auckland
Joelle King - Cambridge
Tamsyn Leevey - Wainuiomata
Campbell Grayson - Auckland
Martin Knight - Wellington
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