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#3: ASIDES ... Malcolm
Willstrop looks askance ... |
Warm Welcome
 After
the lack of warmth and friendliness of some events,
how reassuring it is to be back in Hong Kong.
The first person I saw was Heather Deayton, quickly
followed by Tony Choi and Emily Mak. It may be a
figment of my imagination, but they all seemed pleased to see me
... |
A new look for the Games
 The
Squash Centre has been splendidly refurbished for the East
Asian Games in December, when squash will be included for
the first time.
It is good to see Japanese and Korean players making an
impact, and they will add to the established strength of Hong
Kong and Malaysia. |
Swiss Star
 It
is remarkable when countries seemingly short of top class
players produce one, but I was mightily impressed with
Nicolas Mueller.
He looks to have much of what it takes - shotmaking of a high
order, good movement for one so tall, and and equable
temperament. |
 IOC
missing their own points
One of the most aggravating aspects of the non-acceptance in the
2016 Olympics is that the IOC cite universality and the
promotion of young players as the two main requisites.
The Hong Kong draws confirm squash's universality, and the
involvement of children can hardly be questioned. Golf fails on
the second count, Rugby on the first ... |
 En Bref
#2
Everything
you didn't know you needed to know about Hong Kong Open ... |
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MISSING THE BIG PICTURE…
 In
my first day qual reports on Martin Knight and
Campbell Grayson’s matches, I noted that they didn’t perform
at their utmost best there. What I completely blanked in those
two reports was the extreme fatigue those two players – like so
many others I must add – are experiencing at the moment.
And as I was chatting to David Palmer at breakfast this morning,
he pointed out to me how the New Zealanders for instance, but
also Australians, South Africans, have to travel an awful lot to
get proper events/hard matches, and that was bound to have
repercussions on their performance/will to win, after they’ve
been for too long on the tour without resting or going home.
 And
that gave me the idea of a new column for SquashSite, News
from Down Under, I would like to call it. What about
having those boys and girls, around the 50 mark, not age you
silly, ranking, who have to travel from so far, constantly, to
get to qualify for events, spending an awful lot of money
sometimes for nothing, letting us know what their schedule/life
is about. A bit the “backstage of squash” kind of feel.
Today, we start with the New Zealanders, Campbell and Martin,
with their schedule of the past months. Frightening. And I hope
that other players from Australia, New Zealand, South Africa in
particular, will participate to this new column….
Let’s start from January 2009…
Well, Martin and I travelled to North America for a three month
period where I competed in 9 tournaments (4 in Canada, 4 in
America and 1 in Central America) and Martin competed in 7
tournaments (4 in Canada and 3 in America) . This was a lot of
tournaments and a long time away from home and I don't think I
would ever play that many tournaments in a row again but Martin
did well in his tournaments, he really enjoys the North American
circuit and had a good tour.
A bit of rest then?
Sort of… We then travelled back to NZ where we did a really good
period of four and a half months of training in the program that
Anthony Ricketts has set up in NZ, also in this time I played in
4 local tournaments for a bit of cash and played the Australian
Open Mixed and Men's Doubles, the Australian Open and the NZ
Men's Classic. Martin played in these as well plus he played 6
local tournaments.
That takes us to the end of the summer…
Yes. After the NZ Men's Classic we travelled to Cardiff where we
are now based and then went to the World and Saudi qualifying, I
then played in the Wolverhampton Open and the British Open in
England, then travelled to Egypt for the Petrosport Open, then
to Denmark for the World Men's Teams and then travelled for the
Hong Kong Open. Martin did exactly the same except instead of
playing the Wolverhampton Open he played the US Open in Chicago.
Yes, no wonder you are a bit flat! And where to now?
Martin has gone back to Cardiff to train already and is then
playing the World Open and then the Qatar Classic and is then
going back home to NZ. As for me, I am travelling back to
Cardiff to train for a 3 week period and play some National
League matches and then I’m planning to play the 4 star in
Santiago and then the Qatar Classic and then I am thinking of
travelling back to NZ after that or maybe I might play the Dutch
Open and then go back to NZ after that to rest and then train
for the whole of December to get ready for tournaments in
January.
Next time you see those boys, buy them a beer or something,
won’t you? They freaking deserve it…
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Squash Centre Café.... |
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They
said…
Thanks for asking…
Ref: “Please play on, M. Aziz
Omar “Have you seen what happened!!! I slipped and fell!!!! I’m
just checking my legs!!!!!
Ref “But you are OK now, aren’t you?
Omar “No, I’m not!!!! |
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WHO’S THE
LUCKY ONE…
Donna and Van form a couple you just can’t miss! She is
absolutely gorgeous, and well, he ain’t bad looker himself. But
what do I know about men…
The picture got even better when I learned that he is an
Australian Rugby League player – from memory, I believe he
played for Australia – and you must know my adoration for Rugby
League….
Not sure why he didn’t like it when I told him I would have
liked him even more had he been from New Zealand!!!!
I hear that he tried a bit of squash as well. “Well, we played a
few times, and one day, I just happened to run into his elbow
why playing, and ended up with a black eye”, she laughed.
“So
we’ve both agreed he should keep to rugby”…
Well, those two have been going out for some 18months now, and
no sign of clouds there… And now about who is the lucky one, I
still say he
is… |
Let Please ... me too !! |
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En Bref
#1
En Bref 08
Everything
you didn't know you needed to know about Hong Kong Open ... |
HONG KONG, TAKE 3…
My travel to the China Town of Hong Kong was not exactly a
stride on a quiet river…
What it is with burst water mains in freeking London? If you
ever lived/travel through the British Capital, you must have
come crossed one. The fact that most of them still date from the
Victorian Era (Queen Victoria, an old Queen long ago for the non
European readers) has a lot to answer for I guess.
Anyway, all that to tell you that my taxi was rather late
because of one, and he is normally a pretty reliable man. Which
put me under pressure a bit more just before getting on my Hong
Kong flight. And of course, that’s when ALL the roads are
blocked with traffic. I really thought I was going to miss it…
But thank God for online checkin and lovely Heathrow terminal 3,
I made it just in time, only to find myself stuck next to a mad
man. You know my luck, if there is one weirdo on a plane, trust
me to get him…
Honestly, the man was not well up there!!!! Never stopped moving
at any time, a nervous shake of his leg making the whole plane
tremble, stuffing himself with two whiskies, two bottles of
white wine, three gin & tonics, keeping his screen lighted all
night whereas he has crashed long ago, of course, having a
tendency to drop snoring on my shoulder…
Not to mentioned that he kept on disturbing the whole flight by
blocking the two toilets of the plane regularly, one after the
other, for about 20m each time.
I promise you I’m not exaggerating…
 Meanwhile, in a perfectly full plane, Mister Daryl Selby found
himself next to the only available seat on the whole
flight!!!!!! The air attendant kept on asking him where was the
lady supposed to be sitting there… “Search me” came to his mind,
but as he is a polite young man, he just smiled repeatedly…
Life is sooooo unfair.
Anyway, once at the airport, Daryl and I caught up with Peter
Barker, whose plane was scheduled to landed some 15m after us.
Little cup of tea – come on, you know me – then train to Hong
Kong Central, a taxi to the Marriott by Courtyard Hotel –
imagine three big squash bags in the boot, and the three of us
expecting to hear the sound of our bags falling out of the
opened boot, kept closed with some elastic thread…
At the hotel, I swear it’s true, I have the same room I had last
year, only 10 floors higher, whereas Legend Cubbins is in
exactly the same room. Same floor, same room. “I forgot my phone
charger, but it ain't here”, he laughs…
 After that, a lovely stroll in humid Hong Kong streets, who
cares about a bit of drizzle, we live in the UK, for crying out
loud, and Steve and I managing to find the only freeking
restaurant in town that serves European food!!!! Dumb or what…
Back in my room, a bit of work on the French site – the world of
squash doesn’t stop because the Hong Kong Tournament is about to
start you know. Sleep at 23.30. Waking up at 6am. A very good
night in Hong Kong jet lag terms, I’m here to tell you.
And waking up to that Hong Kong harbour sight has a way to make
you smile… I’m happy to be here ...
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A new look for the Squash Centre
Steve Cubbins reports
 Hong
Kong Squash Centre was closed for a HK$30m refurbishment from last
December through to June.
No structural changes, still the same twelve courts, nicely
spruced up, but the whole place has been given a facelift and a
new modern look in preparation for this event and December's
East Asian Games, and very smart it all looks too.
The entrance to the showcourt has been widened, primarily to
allow disabled access (there's a new elevator to the upper floor
for the same reason), which will make a big difference once it
gets busy in there, as getting everyone through one rather
narrow doorway was always a problem. You still get a lovely
blast of cold air coming through the doors though, even when
closed as the showcourt's air conditioning does its work.
With qualifying starting tomorrow, it was a good opportunity to
get some shots of the place - as from tomorrow there will be
people all over the place, spoiling the view!
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