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European Team
Championships 2008
30th Apr - 3rd May, Amsterdam |
Frans Otten Gallery
Euro Teams 2007
Euro Teams 2006
Euro Teams 2005
Euro Teams 2004
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Full Coverage on the MiniSite
www.squashsite.co.uk/euroteams08
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Record Entry for Amsterdam
Preview from Howard Harding
Netherlands will host the biggest ever European Team Squash
Championships when the 2008 event - featuring a record 28 nations
competing in the men's event and 19 in the women's - takes place at
the Frans Otten Stadion in Amsterdam from 30 April to 3 May.
The men's championship welcomes Serbia for the first time - and also
Portugal and Luxembourg, returning to the event for the first time
since 1999 and 1997, respectively.
The women's event boasts the biggest entry since 2000 - and hails
first-timers Ukraine, while also welcoming back Greece for the first
time since 1989.
The 2008 staging marks the ninth time the prestigious Championships
have been hosted by Netherlands - more times than any other country.
England, defending champions in both the men's and women's events,
are seeded to retain their titles - the men's squad for the 33rd
time since the inaugural event in 1973, and the women's having held
the title unchallenged since 1978.
England's men's squad will be led by world No4 James Willstrop,
supported by world No10 Peter Barker, No11 Lee Beachill, No14 Adrian
Grant, and - making his international debut - Joey Barrington,
ranked 28 in the world. In the absence of Tania Bailey, who is
recovering from knee surgery, the England women's team features
world No6 Jenny Duncalf, No8 Vicky Botwright, No11 Alison Waters and
No12 Laura Lengthorn-Massaro.
But, after finishing as runner-up in both events last year, hosts
Netherlands will be hoping to make a long-awaited breakthrough on
'home soil'. Seeded two, and looking for first-time success in both
events, Netherlands will present a men's squad led by world No19
Laurens Jan Anjema, with Dylan Bennett, Tom Hoevenaars, Piedro
Schweertman, Rene Mijs and 40-year-old nine-time Dutch National
champion Lucas Buit.
Former world champion Vanessa Atkinson leads the Dutch women's squad
which has finished in second place each year since 2003. Supporting
the world No10 will be world No18 Annelize Naude, Karen Kronemeyer,
Orla Noom and Dagmar Vermeulen.
Strong contenders in the men's event in Amsterdam will be France.
Runners-up to England for seven years in a row since 2000, France
contested last year's championship without injured Gregory Gaultier
and Thierry Lincou. This time the pair - ranked three and seven in
the world, respectively - are back in action and will compete
alongside team-mates Renan Lavigne, Julien Balbo and Mathieu
Castagnet.
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Amsterdam's impressive Frans Otten Stadion is the venue for
the 2008 European Team Championships.
The venue has a lot of courts (21), and it will need them as a
record entry of 46 teams heads for the Netherlands.
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 Parke
Appointed
Irish National Coach
Simon
Parke the former World number three from Yorkshire has been
appointed as the new Irish Men’s National Coach. Simon has had a
long and illustrious career winning the World Junior title in 1990
and going on to win six major PSA tour titles including the US Open
in 1999 where he had back to back wins against Peter Nicol and
Jonathon Power. His record for England is exceptional having gained
over 60 caps and winning 10 European Team titles and two World Team
titles.
Simon, a Level 3 Coach, is currently the Head Coach at Heaton Squash
Club in Yorkshire where he works with a number of up and coming
professionals.
 "It's
a great honour to be selected as team coach in charge of the Irish
men's squash team. I already coach Arthur Gaskin as he is based at
Heaton and I travelled the world and became very good friends with
another stalwart Derek Ryan who is still playing some great squash.
"I know the other guys pretty well too so I am hoping for some good
team spirit and a successful European campaign in Amsterdam.
"Realistically no one is going to dent the powers of our two
countries, England and France, and Wales and Holland are also
strong. but I think with a professional outlook and the right
preparation we can cause some upsets. Liam Kenny is improving all
the time while based in the states and John Rooney is looking a lot
stronger putting all his injury and illness woes behind him.
"For me the job involves taking the team to the euros annually and
the world teams bi-annually. I will also be conducting 10 training
days a year in Dublin with the men's team.
"It is my first international job and I am really excited about it.
I am flying over to Dublin for the first couple of days of the Irish
open where I will coach and support the Irish boys and also meet
some people on the committee."
Men's Team:
Liam Kenny, John Rooney, Derek Ryan, Arthur Gaskin, Niall Rooney
Ladies Team:
Madeline Perry, Aisling Blake, Laura Mylotte, Kerri Shields
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 French
back to full strength
Having finished third last year - losing a nailbiting semi-final to
the Netherlands, despite being without their top two players -
France will once again be the main challenge to England's domination
of the event.
BALBO Julien – Bron
CASTAGNET Mathieu – Marseille
GAULTIER Grégory – Aix en Provence
LAVIGNE Renan – Marseille
LINCOU Thierry – Marseille
AUMARD Coline – US
Créteil
DUPLOMB Maud – St Etienne
SERME Camille – US Créteil
STOEHR Isabelle - Rennes
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