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| FRAM'S CORNER #48 26th April 2011 |
| AMMAN OPEN, JORDAN 
- El Shorbagy, Bulldozer!
Marwan El Shorbagy crushed all on his path in the Amman Open where, truth be told, there was no real match for him....
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| PAKISTAN 
| ASIAN'S INDIVIDUAL CHPT       |  |
INDIAN CHALLENGER WISPA
 
 
 | USA 
  
  | | ZIMBABWE 
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| SOME STOP...  WHILE OTHERS START.... 
 | UK 
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| FRAM'S CORNER #47 18th April 2011 |
PAKISTAN
 - Disgruntled Faheem could quit as national squash coach
ISLAMABAD: National coach Faheem Gul could part ways with the Pakistan Squash Federation (PSF) after citing differences with the management and meagre economic benefits as big ‘irritants’ hampering his job....
More...
Faheem Gul's CV 
- Aamir Atlas hopes to shine in Hurghada Open....
KARACHI: Serving a six-month ban at home, Pakistan’s top squash player Aamir Atlas Khan on Friday said that the suspension is not bothering him anymore...
More...
| MADELINE PERRY
A long, detailled article, not to be missed...
 Mary Hannigan talks to the world number three player from Banbridge about hitting her peak at an age when most would be hanging up the racquet
It was about five years ago Madeline Perry began giving some thought to life after her professional squash career, the then 29-year-old deciding that last October’s Commonwealth Games in India would, probably, be her final tournament.... More....
 
Madeleine Perry crashed out at the semi finals stage at Fitzwilliam on Friday evening when she was forced to concede two games into the contest due to a back injury. More...
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 - Egypt take double squash victory:
Egypt has much cause to celebrate after taking a fine double victory in the Cannon Kirk Homes Open squash finals..
More...
 - New Zealand squash number one Joelle King will face fourth-seeded Kasey Brown of Australia in the Texas Open semi-finals... More...
| TOURNAMENTS SPOT 
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| FRAM'S CORNER #46 16 April 2011 |
HEATHER'S BEST,
SAYS NEIL KRITZINGER |
16-Apr-2011
Like a few of other squash media specialists, I got an email a few hours ago, complaining about the little place that "we" give to Heather Mckay, née Blundell, in the History Books. That note raises very interesting points. Two journalists, Howard Harding and Richard Eaton, have already replied to that note.
For those of you, out there, who know a lot about that fantastic lady, feel free to join the debate on our forum.
But for the younger generation, or the non anglo saxons readers, who may not know much about that athlete who beat everybody really, for nearly 20 years...
THE LETTRE
Ladies, Gentlemen, Journalists, Squash Cognoscenti,
After some research, I have determined that you may be the most influential group to address regarding the recurring and egregious misreporting about the status of the women’s all-time #1 ranking.
From all quarters of the globe, and in practically every reporting of the women’s game, we are constantly being told that Susan is #1, with Nicol chasing hard.
 While we all quite correctly admire Susan Devoy, and are in awe of Nicol David’s accomplishments, your failure to acknowledge Heather McKay as the untouchable all-time champion of the women’s game is, frankly, unforgiveable. Not only that, but also callow and shallow and quite insulting to the history of the game.
How can cricket be discussed without mention of Bradman, or Sobers? Tendulkar and Warne on their own is not enough. How can baseball be debated without mention of Ruth, or Koufax? Pujols and Maddux on their own is not enough. Does tennis neglect one of Laver’s Grand Slams because it was accomplished before the ‘open’, or ‘modern’ era, which seems to be the only ‘explanation’ I can imagine for this egregious misrepresentation of the history of the women’s game? Do we omit Hashim, and Jonah, and Geoff when we discuss such matters in the men’s game? Of course not.
Heather McKay is one of the three greatest squash champions of all – Hashim, Heather, and Jahangir, the unimpeachable triad. Is there any sportsman, or woman, in the history of sport, any sport, that can claim to have won the most prestigious global title in their game 16 consecutive times - only to be omitted from mention when all-time rankings are discussed? Quite unbelievable, really.
S-i-x-t-e-e-n c-o-n-s-e-c-u-t-i-v-e y-e-a-r-s; 1 9 2 c-o-n-s-e-c-u-t-i-v-e m-o-n-t-h-s. Loser of only two matches in two decades. And not a mention?
The fact that she played in the pre-WISPA era does not excuse this gross omission; we do not dismiss Bobby Charlton’s accomplishments and the ’66 World Cup because they were achieved before the formation of the Premiership. But if you insist on doing so, then at least have the courage to place a huge asterisk beside any such discussion, with a credible explanation as to why the greatest woman player of all time does not qualify to be recognized as such by squash cognoscenti.
Perhaps you can begin by explaining this to me, and then as a group set about correcting something quite shameful.
By acknowledging McKay, the stature of Devoy and David is not diminished, but grows instead.
And by the way, I am not an Aussie, merely a Namibian who loves squash and has a deep respect for the history of the game, ancient and modern.
Yours sincerely,
 |
FAILURE IS NOT AN OPTION...
During a playing career that lasted nearly twenty years, she won fourteen successive Australian Amateur titles in her sport (1960-73), sixteen British Amateur (later Open) titles (1962-77), the inaugural World Championship title (1976) and the World Championship again in 1979.
She was named the ABC Sportsman (!) of the year in 1967.
She lost two matches in all that time; one in 1960, the other in 1962. Even then, Heather McKay considered those losses to be steps towards later victories.
The 1960 loss was to the late Yvonne West in the quarter final of the New South Wales Championship – a result she was tickled pink by considering it was the first time she’d played in the event after picking up the game the year before. She never lost an amateur title match in Australia again.
The 1962 loss was to Fran Marshall, the reigning British Champion, in the final of the Scottish Championship. It was the last loss she would ever experience... More...
| 
Steve Cubbins' excellent tribute
to Heather Mckay
| THE RESPONSES Neil,
Nobody could possibly argue with the sentiment of your epistle – but when claims about Susan Devoy’s world number one era are made (mostly by me, it has to be said), they are referring to the published women’s world rankings.
And in the same way that Jonah Barrington, sadly, never actually became ‘world open champion’ as his era pre-dated the event, so neither did Heather McKay ever become an official world number one
But thanks for highlighting the fact
Best wishes
There was no world ranking system at the time. That's the top and bottom of it.
Heather McKay, whom I saw play quite a lot during the seventies, is almost certainly the best woman player of all time.
But the reporting is about statistics on the WISPA tour. There was no proper tour in McKay's time.
Consequently she eventually had to go and live and work in North America, playing racketball and coaching, forsaking squash in order to make a living.
Hence it may be better to compare like with like - which is arguably what the reporting of WISPA records of touring professionals does.
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"I played her in the final of the Scottish Open in Edinburgh, and beat her 3/2 in an hour and a half. s
She went into the changing rooms and said out loud that that was the last time anyone was going to beat her, and it was. She always thrashed me after that, and everyone else too.
She was the best ever player, by a long way. Even in this day and age she would win. I saw a few matches at the World Open in Manchester last month and they weren't a patch on her.
My best moments were: beating her in Edinburgh, what a match that was. Then when I played her in 1965 in front of 400 people - they all saluted when I finally got a point!
More....
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Neil,
I am not sure what prompted you to write, but while you are right that Heather pre-dates WISPA, her status as a legend, a pre-eminent one, is not remotely in doubt.
I was on the staff of WISPA when in 1999 we initiated a WISPA Hall of Fame. Heather was the first name on the very small list (then three, now five).
It was a thrill when she agree to come to the Women’s World Open in Seattle that year to be inducted.
So, while I guess that there may be a tendency at times to use time at the top of the WISPA ranking to be the yardstick of success, Heather’s record, which will surely not ever be surpassed, does receive regular mentions in my experience – just as you say it really must.
Regards,
former WISPA CEO, WSF CEO |
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NICK MATTHEW in
the HALL of CHAMPIONS...
the star
the Telegraph 
Online Version
| ENGLAND
And a little article from the Star again on Sheffield's Adam Turner... 
the star
 - Squash sessions helps school foster links: Pupils from Weston All Saints Primary School had the chance to try their hand at squash last week...
More...
|
JOE SHAW
"As a Test, try and find any sports program in the world that has the four areas of a sport all combined into one program... There are thousands of articles on Physical, Tactical or Mental Factors of sports but not one which puts them all together into one program. Evashaw stands for EVA = Evolution of the Athlete + my name..."  - World First Programs Squash, Tennis, Golf, Formula Ford... EVASHAW Sports Training and Development programs... More...
| USA
STREETSQUASH
 
New York, NY — As most athletes were putting down their racquets for the season, a group of college squash players descended upon New York City for the Intercollegiate Doubles Championships.
Held on the weekend of March 11, the event was hosted by the University Club of New York...
More...
| | TOURNAMENTS' SPOT Ireland : Texas : 
Ilkley, England: 
Under 19 Championship: 
- Galway squad duo Hegarty and O'Shea eager to make impact at Euro U-19 finals... More...
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| FRAM'S CORNER #45 13 April 2011 |
SHABANA IS ALIVE AND WELL
AND LIVING IN BROOKLYN…
Mighty Shabana changed his life radically a couple of months ago. We knew he was making a move to the States, but how, where… Nobody was really sure, as Amr is one of the most discreet stars on this planet bless him!
Well, I was able to catch up with him, and I can tell you one thing, the Shabana clan is all right. I saw everybody but Nada, the eldest, who was in school poor thing. Najla, Amr’s wife, is “resplendissante”, radiant you would say, it’s obvious she is happy in her new environment.
If you want to know how the four-time World Champion is doing, please, keep on reading…
So, Shabs, how are you first of all?
I’m good Fram, I’m good!
 What happened to you?? Where do you live?
We now live in Brooklyn New York, we made the move two months ago. Thing is, I had originally wanted to go to Canada, I had that plan for the past three years, everything was organised, Shahier was there, with Jonathon and Graham Ryding, and I have a lot of friends in Toronto.
So, I always thought about Toronto. But you know life, the way it is, you plan it, and sometimes, what happens, well, you have no control over it…
When did you change your plans then?
After the TOC, I was supposed to go and play Halifax in Canada, and Najla was with me in TOC, she left on the day after, like on the 29th, and went home on the worst day of the tension, it was crazy, gunshots, fighting everywhere.
 At the time, I had an exhibition tour, a tournament in Halifax, but I came back to Egypt after TOC because I couldn’t leave my family without protection, I just couldn’t leave my wife and kids like that, you know.
So I went home, and once I was there, I realised that I wouldn’t be able to travel to tournaments, there was Virginia, and other tournaments, and exhibitions, and I was like, I can’t leave. I can’t leave Egypt, and leave my family there like that, I wasn't going to be able to play squash at all.
The revolution was the best thing that ever happened in Egypt, but the situation was still very volatile. So, we decided ok, instead of waiting for Canada, let’s try New York! And things just happened like that!
And that’s how it happened. And now, we are settled down in Brooklyn, it’s been two months now.
 How’s the family
settling down?
At the beginning, it was tough, the first month was tough… But now, everything is good, life is nice here in America, I’m enjoying it.
Nada (the oldest), has started to go to nursery/preschool, she speaks English already, after two months, she speaks English now, all of a sudden! The youngest, Yara, maybe she is going to go to school, but we are not sure yet….
Only thing, Fram, food here, it’s crazy! I’ve stopped eating outside, you have the big breakfast at the diner, then you have a huge brunch, and then you have a huge dinner, oh my God, you’re in trouble… Najla, she is a great cook, I don’t have to eat outside all the time now. | 
Shabs & Najla
|
| What about squash now…
I train in a club right behind my house, Eastern Athletic Club, I’m getting used to things, and the good thing, I’m not playing any major tournament until August. I’m not playing Hurghada, it’s too far away now, I can’t just leave and say to my wife, bye, I’m going to Egypt!!!
You are doing a clinic at Life Time Fitness Berkeley Heights?
Yes, I’m doing a weekly clinic there, I knew the head pro for about 21 years, and he told me that they had a great club in Jersey, where the members were very interested in having some training with me.
 So basically, what I do is a clinic, one hour and a half per week, sometimes there are kids, sometimes adults, it’s great to do something different, instead of me just training day in day out for my tournaments till August, which would drive me crazy! So, once a week, I do something different, and fun, where I don’t have to worry about me, and for them, it’s a great experience, because I teach them the way I train.
And how is the old body?
I still have a few aches and pains here and there, but nothing serious, I started training, and it's all good, getting better. And here, the treatments available are really good, the medicine, the physios, and the gyms are great, the whole thing is good. Can't wait to start competing again!
Other projects in the pipeline?
I have a few things I would like to do, but I’m taking it slowly, I’m in a new territory, I’m just happy I’m settling down, that my family is settling down. At the moment, as long as we are enjoying it here, in a nice place, with my kids going to a nice, school, it’s all I care about right now ... |
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| FRAM'S CORNER #44 11 April 2011 |
| CAYMANS OPEN 
- Nicol ends Donna's run...
More...
 - Nicol checks into semis after stern Grinham test...
More...
| SHABANA
 We knew that Mighty Shabana left Cairo with his family to settle in the US a few weeks ago, we heard that we lived in Boston.
Well, there he is, in Berkeley Heights, N.J.
- World Renowned Squash Player to Teach Clinics at Life Time Fitness Berkeley Heights... More....
| MADELINE PERRY 
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| CANADA   Squash star calls it quits : Longtime squash star Carolyn Russell of Winnipeg announced her retirement from the sport on Friday...
More...
- Ready for squash. These youngster are ready to learn about the sport of squash and will get the chance coming up next weekend in Kelowna... More...
 | ENGLAND 
 County champion Ross Singleton showcased his squash skills at a national event at the weekend, finishing 10th in England... More...
- Dunnington met with mixed fortunes when they played Yorkshire Squash League premier division champions Abbeydale, from Sheffield, in successive matches... More...
 - Squash courts "may not be possible" at new Elephant leisure centre... More...
- A sad farewell to Markhams Chase:
The decision to sell off council assets to pay for Basildon’s new £38million Sporting Village has divided the town...
More....
  - Kylie Minogue buys London apartment with Squash Courts....
More...
| | NEW ZEALAND 
 Teen's a big hit on the court or course... Don't let the laid-back attitude or big smile fool you. When Chas Craig hits the court or the course, he means business... More...
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 WISPA Saturday for the StreetSquash girls. World #22 Delia Arnold and #12 Low Wee Wern visit from Malaysia to show the ladies how it's done! | USA
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| FRAM'S CORNER #43 8 April 2011 |
| CAYMANS OPEN  - Malaysian squash Queen Nicol gunning for third Cayman title... More...
- Wee Wern crashes again in the opening round... More...
 - Joelle King out of Cayman Islands Open... More...
- Hawkes bows out of Caymans tournament...
More...
| NICK MATTHEW
in The Times
| | JAMES WILLSTROP 
- Emotions were running high and my heat-of-the-moment reaction was inappropriate, explained Wayne Rooney, attempting to justify why he blatantly swore into a Sky Sports camera... More...
| | DIPIKA PALLIKAL  
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| USA  - Mark Alger captures 3rd US masters squash title... More...
- How do you get noticed as a sports program, and a women’s one at that, when you’re competing in the sea of top-tier programs that make up Cardinal athletics?... More...
- New York - Ten Columbia student-athletes have been named to the Academic All-Ivy League team, the conference office announced... More...
| ENGLAND LAURA MASSARO 
- Lancashire squash star to fight for her sport... More...
 - Jack Turvey comes third in England Squash Championships... More...
- The Parklangley Club in Beckenham will host a major bronze ranking junior squash event later this month... More...
- Duffield ready to beat odds in PSL semi clash... More...
 
- Surrey duo secure Premier Squash League final date... More...
 
- Young squash champion celebrates title win... More...
 
- Jack Curtis ready to take on the best in Bath at College Games event... More...
| | MALAYSIA - BENG HEE 
| | PAKISTAN 
- Farhan Mehboob has been top seeded in men and Saima Shoukat is number one seed in the main round of men and women of Chief of Army Staff Open squash tournament... More...
| | NEW ZEALAND  - New squash centre named after Dame Susan Devoy... More...
 | | NAMIBIE  - Dries Tredoux and Natasja Esterhuizen were the champs at the Namibian Squash Masters’ tournament, held last weekend at the Wanderers club, Windhoek.... More...
| | WALES  - Tyra takes national title... More...
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| FRAM'S CORNER #42 2nd April 2011 |
| ENGLAND 
 
- The owner of a soon-to-be demolished squash club in Windsor is still 'hopeful' of finding a location for a new £4.5 million facility... More...
 
- Hemsworth squash ace Katie Smith will aim to continue her growing reputation on the European circuit after being selected to represent England U19s at the forthcoming European Junior Team Championships in Switzerland.... More...
 
- Juniors from the Sports Academy at Hunts County Squash Club claimed three titles - and also had three finalists - at the Cambridgeshire County Championships last weekend... More...
 
- Duffield eye play-off home advantage... More...
- Duffield secure home semi-final place: Duffield team manager Felix Frixou was full of praise for his side after seeing them secure home advantage in the Premier Squash League semi-finals...
More...
 
- Squash season goes down to the wire... More...
- Countdown's Rachel Riley: I do love Squash!... More...
 
- Squash club in search for stars of the future: Solihull Arden Squash and Racketball Club has launched a new search for the county and England stars of the future... More...
- Willstrop beaten in Canary Wharf semi-finals & News from Ponte... More...
- Riley's Q hit top with one to play... More...
| PAKISTAN 
- Atlas overlooked for Asian Championship... The Pakistan Squash Federation (PSF) will omit the country’s top-ranked player Aamir Atlas Khan when it names the squad for next month’s Asian Squash Championship to be held in Malaysia... More...
- Yasir and Nasir on Wednesday moved into the finals of PSF-CDA Pakistan International Squash Circuit-I... More...
- ISLAMABAD: Nasir Iqbal won the final of Pakistan International Squash Circuit-I at Mushaf Squash Complex here on Thursday... More...
 | | DANEMARK 
- Poker saves Squash!
Gus Hansen, one of the biggest winners of poker players on tables of High Stakes Online of the first quarter of 2011 comes to lend a hand to the Danish squash federation... More...
 
- Martin Heath has been highly successful as the coach of the University of Rochester squash team. His efforts tied to the United States Olympic Team are now being recognized as well... More...
 | | USA  - 2011 Men’s College Squash National Team Championships Photos... More...
 
- Mission accomplished: Todd Harrity wins College Squash Association Individual Championships title... More...
 | | INDIA  - Sourav seeded 4th in Kolkata International Squash... More...
- Karim Darwish will be the man to beat... More...
| | EGYPT 
- “This one is for Egypt. We are happy to have won it for our country,” remarked World No. 2 Ramy Ashour after leading his nation to victory in the World Cup mixed team event... More...
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| TENILLE SWCHARTZ 
- A Toast to Married Life... More...
| NEW ZEALAND  - New Zealand's Jaclyn Hawkes and Joelle King are safely through to the quarterfinals of the WISPA World Squash Tour's Atwater Cup in Canada...
More...
- Crosby, Craig take top honours...
More...
 | | ZIMBABWE 
- Ishmael Mubure recently became the first black Zimbabwean player to turn professional after he joined the PSA... More...
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