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 ODENSE
EN BREF #3
Everything you never knew you needed to know about the World
Teams ... |
THE MAGICIAN IS
ALIVE AND WELL…
 Boy
Jonathon Power looks good and fit. When he was playing
Khasif yesterday, you would have expected him to be a bit tired
in the end, well, not at all. He is still that cat moving on the
court, and keeping all his energy. Well, today against Duracell
Clyne, he had more problems, but still manage to close it up
3/2….
Also, this was the first time I realised how much Greg inspired
himself from the Canadian for his game, the straight back when
playing, the drop shot racquet move, at times I thought I was
looking at the Frenchman while Jonathan was playing…
Still, caught up with a very happy retired young man…
Why are you here?
I’m here to support the team, to keep them going down, keeping
them in the top 16, while we are building our juniors up, and to
have no visible drop in the team performance.
Why that number one position in the team?
I’m playing number one because I’m the best! Since I retired, I
had to play every year in the National Championships, that’s to
allow me to keep on playing for the team. And I won the title
every year, which leads me today to play in the number one
position…
Where are you based now?
After several years spent in Montreal, I’m now back in
Toronto, there are far more squash courts there, I think about a
hundred. I enjoyed my time in Montreal, but for my wife Sita, it
was better to come back to Toronto too, as she’s got her family
there.
How is the baby girl?
Parker is now two and a half years old, and she looks more and
more like her mum every day, thank god for that. And she is
asking me to play squash every day, I can’t be unhappy with
that, let’s see how long that lasts… But I still beat her!
You are keeping busy I hear?
After I retired, I went straight and worked with juniors, in
Mexico and in the States. And for two years now, I’ve been
working on my lifetime project, a 10 court venue in Toronto for
High Performance.
It’s a private venture, privately funded, with both school and
squash, to allow kids to improve in both disciplines, until they
are 18 years old. It’s not the same as the States, where juniors
are training to play schools against schools and hoping to get
grants, this is a High Performance set up, for any kids, not
just Canadians…
No regrets then?
Since I stopped playing professionally, life has been great, my
family, I’ve got plenty of time for them and for myself, I don’t
have to travel anymore… I’ve never made a better decision. |
They said…
Jesse Engelbrecht supporting his mates…
“Keep thundering them down, keep it raining … Come on boy, one
[point] leads to two … Close that door now boy… Stephen Robert
Coppinger the third, Earl of Nairobi … It’s all yours boy … What
a shot, what a player … what a player, what a man …” |
MEDIA INVOLVED…
You may have seen the job these guys have done [on
the WATCH page], the three of
them come from South Africa, they are a great bunch to work with
in the press room, and they had flavour and a bit of fresh air
to a press room that on certain tournaments, can be, how shall I
put it, stuffy to say the least.
Quinton Schmidt (cameraman and technical), Nusrah Cassiem
(Producer), and Grant Isaacs (presenter), have been working for
a TV company called SuperSport in South Africa, a bit of a prestigious name I’ll say.
Well, they’ve allowed us to have their clips, and good job for
them South Africa is having a great run so far. And it was the
first time ever that I saw a cameraman, Quinton, actually
supported verbally – and loudly, may I say – a player during a
match!
Like I said, what a refreshing bunch those three…
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TO BORJA: WE MISS YOU….
 The adorable John Milton, coach to Sweden, has been coaching
Borja Golan for a long time, among other players, and wanted to send a
little update to his fans about the Spanish player’s health.
“Borja’s now had his operation. His anterior cruciate ligaments
have been completely replaced, instead of repaired, that the way
they do it these days, by the surgeon that treats the Real
Madrid.
It will take him around 6 months to be back on his leg, then
around 3 months to start training again, and hopefully, another
3 months to be able to play small tournaments, and hopefully
after that, he’ll be back playing to regain his top 10 ranking.
We hope that the PSA is going to install a shadow ranking that
will protect Borja a bit. He is the only Spanish player to reach
the top 10 ever, and if there was a four star tournament in his
hometown, Santiago, it’s because of him really. He deserves to
be helped a bit and protected by the system I feel.
So many players have been asking me how he is, and wishing him
all the best for his rehabilitation. He should be here with the
Spanish team really, he is very much missed in Odense and on the
Squash Circuit…”
|
 GUESS
WHO???
If I tell you this is the logo of Shabana's company, and his
thigh actually, you think ah, that's got to be the Prince of
Egypt on there.
Well, wrong...
I give you a clue... He is a very close friend to Shaabz, he is
always a gentleman, and crippled with injury. Yop, Abbas.... |
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ODENSE
EN BREF #2
Everything you never knew you needed to know about the World
Teams ... |
MATTHEW CAMP IN SUPPORT
As Sue and Hedley Matthew stepped in the venue to come
and support their son – like a few parents, so far we have
Thierry Lincou’s and Renan Lavigne’s around that I
can see/know – Nick played another six or seven rallies, before
he twisted his ankle.
“I guess we should be relieved that we are actually here to
support him when he needs us, but still, it’s incredible how
unlucky he is with his injuries.
Agreed…
"I feel alright to be honest, I feel more about the team,
because it puts pressure on them, maybe when I get home, it will
be more about me again… But at the moment, if I can be of 1% of
use by being here for the team, well, I’ll be 1% of use…"
|
WHERE HAVE YOU BEEN????
 This
event allows us to reconnect with players/coaches we haven’t
seen for a while….
For example, Anthony Ricketts, yes, he’s got hair, funny,
ain’t it. He is still training the New Zealander team, but most
important, he is about to become a father. He has a huge smile
when he confirms that yes, Shelley is resting.
“We are half way, she is nesting, and she is loving it”….
That will be your greatest achievement of all, won’t it,
Anthony…? |
 We
have Rahmat Khan as well here. For the younger
generations that may not know him, Rahmat was Jahangir’s coach,
and for a few years was coaching Pakistan's junior team.
Now Rahmat is happily remarried and leaves in Kuwait, where he
trains the Kuwaiti team. “It is a bit frustrating, all my
players are rather busy with their studies, so I can only have
them around one hour per day, and to compete against those guys
here, it’s just not enough…”
Still, Kuwait created a few upsets recently, and I’m sure that
Rahmat's touch is a lot to do with it… |
 What
about Chris Walker? He is still here, coach to the USA.
But during the year, now, along with Mark Chaloner, he is
looking after a bunch of 25 juniors, that is from September to
March.
“We are based between New York and Greenwich, and we work with
them from Monday to Thursday. Weekends, we go with them on
junior tournaments, or organise camps and clinics for them.”
What about squash competition then? Well, those two still play,
but on the Doubles circuit, for a Hardball Doubles Team I
understand. I’m sure it means something for our North American
friends, beats me though..
And during summer? Well, more camps for Chris, mostly in San
Diego, for SurfCity Squash. And do you remember Hanna
Fekede Balcha, the lovely Ethiopian girl that delighted us
during our ill fated Olympic Presentation in Lausanne? Well, she
is part of that group…
So, building for the future is Chris? You bet….. |
ODENSE
EN BREF #1
Everything you never knew you needed to know about the World
Teams ... |
FROM
HERE... TO HERE...
Yippppeeeee…
After a nice 32°C in Cairo, we were around 18°C in
Amsterdam, nice sun, and as we landed in Copenhagen,
rain started to drizzle. Nice stroll with my luggage towards
track 2 of the Terminal 3, where you have a train 40m past the
hour that takes you straight to Odense. When I say
straight, you do visit the country a bit, but at least, no
change of train or platform, and that is soooo important when
you have both luggage for three weeks AND bad knees…
Fell asleep, I guess you won’t be surprised that I slightly
tired, but didn’t forget to put my alarm clock, didn’t want to
miss the stop! Upon arrival, lovely Inni Skildal was
waiting for me at the station, along with Kenneth, one of the
many shuttles drivers that the tournament offers to the
players/officials between hotels and the venue.
 Then
a little promenade around the hotels – a bit of confusion
regarding the one I should be in, and Tom, Chairman of
Danish Squash saving the day by offering me his room, may he be
publicly thanked, and finally, arriving at the main tournament
hotel.
First person out, the Magician himself, yes, Jonathon
Power. So happy to see him.
A few other familiar faces, the New Zealanders Martin
Campbell and Alex Grayson, yes, Alex - brother of
Campbell I guess, Kristian
Frost – this is his town I believe. I feel less tired
already. A quick shower, camera, computer, notebook, all set.
Arrival at the venue, with David Palmer resting but
watching his team playing Wales, no French on site so far, a big
match happening between Italy – nicknamed United Nations by the
other teams – and Scotland.
A quick bite, again, all arranged by Inni. She is in charge of
making us happy, and so far, she is doing a stunning job.
“You’ll just have to say yes to everything I’ll say”, I joke.
“Yes, I guess that much,” she retorts… I just found my new best
friend…
So yes, a bit tired, would like to sleep for a week – ain't
going to happen is it – but having all my mates around, I just
feel home. And ready to roll…
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