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15-Jun-07:
Media breakthrough in Chile
Widespread media interest, including national TV exposure for squash for
the first time, was one of the key benefits that Nicol David, Rachael
Grinham and Sarah Fitz-Gerald brought to Chile when the trio of WISPA
world number ones visited capital Santiago on the fourth and final leg
of their promotional tour of South America.
A comprehensive programme, including clinics with youngsters, exhibition
matches and press conferences, had been arranged by hosts the Chilean
Squash Federation.
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"Squash is a more friendly sport for women than racquetball.
"I play squash because it helps my strategy – you rely too much on power in
my sport. And your sport is more endurance-orientated – I would say squash
is like the 800 metres, whereas racquetball is more like the 100 metres
race!"
"This has inspired me to take up squash again more seriously - I’m going
to make a comeback!"
Oren Brunman with
Rachael
 "We
have built the largest junior group in Chile, so we couldn’t resist this
incredible experience to come to Santiago and take part in this visit.
"The kids have been talking of nothing else for the past few weeks – this is
a unique opportunity to meet and learn from world-class players.
"Estadio Espanol is a multi-sport club boasting more than 1,000 members,
offering football, basketball, pelota vasca, tennis and squash. The club
really believes in squash – they feel that investing in squash is vital, and
have helped fund this trip to Santiago."
Profesora Educacion Fisica
at the Estadio Espanol
I’ve seen this kind of enthusiasm before, but never in the short gap between
games during a match! Their keenness for squash is quite remarkable.
"I really connected with those kids. And even though some didn’t speak much
English, and my Spanish is virtually non-existent, squash just broke all the
language barriers!"
"We’ve been very impressed with the standard of the players we’ve seen
here.
"And it’s been a real eye-opener to see the numbers of people that have come
along to watch us, especially the kids."
Marcelo
Kaplun with Nicol
"It is this kind of promotion that will help squash grow in Chile."
Israelita Club
Squash President
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Juniors flock to Santigo
A hoard of enthusiasts – mostly children – greeted the WISPA party on
arrival at the Go-Fitness & Spa club, an impressive multi-sport
facility over seven floors which houses three glass-backed squash courts
and four racquetball courts.
Whilst youngsters provided the distinctive flavour of the Santiago
visit, other more experienced players were also eager to take advantage
of the WISPA stars’ presence – including former tennis player Loreto
Barriga, a ten-times Chile women’s national squash champion who also
boasts South American titles in both squash and racquetball; reigning
women’s national champion Ana Marie Pinto; current world No4
racquetball player Angela Grisar; and Chilean hero Jaime Pinto,
a long-time national champion who now coaches both squash and tennis at
the club founded by his famous father, Davis Cup tennis player Jaime
Pinto (snr).
Grisar was unable to resist a squash challenge from Nicol David – then
debated the relative merits of the two sports with the two-times world
squash champion from Malaysia afterwards while Barriga, now 34, is
winding down her incredible sporting career while working full-time in
sport for the Santiago municipality. But matches against all three of
the WISPA stars have rekindled her interest in the sport.
Such was the interest generated by the WISPA visit that a large group of
youngsters from Concepcion – Chile’s second largest city, some 600km
south of Santiago – joined the action at Go-Fitness. Aged between 7 and
17, the group braved the six-hour journey to soak up the experience of
meeting and learning from the world squash stars.
The enthusiasm of the Chilean juniors was something to behold: Courts
were never left empty for more than a few seconds before a clutch of
youngsters burst through the door eager to hit a few more balls – often
led by eight-year-old Oren Brunman.
The future of Chilean squash seems to be in good hands – particularly if
three notable juniors continue to advance. Jonathan Stark, 14,
and Carlos Vergara, also 14, are the second and third top juniors
in the country – but 15-year-old Rafael Allendes, son of
Federation Vice President Rafael Allendes (snr), is ranked one at U17
and U19.
Allendes has already competed in junior tournaments around South America
and won his first overseas title at the Virginia Junior U17 Open in the
USA in January. At the end of this year he plans to take part in the
Scottish and British Junior Opens for the first time.
 "It’s
fantastic to play with people like Sarah, Rachael and Nicol. I love
squash and would like to play full-time."
“He would do well in my base in Egypt, for sure!"
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Media
Interest at last ...
A
press conference at Go-Fitness attracted significant interest, with
journalists probing the WISPA stars about their lives on the World Tour,
and their opinions of the local players they’d seen.
The result of the conference and general interest in the visit created an
avalanche of media coverage, including newspapers El Mercurio, La Hora, La
Nacion, Publimetro and La Tercera; El Grafico magazine; W radio; numerous
Chilean sports websites; and TV channels 13, 19 and 22
“This is a real breakthrough for us – squash has never been featured on
national TV before,” said Federation President Patricio Lira.
The climax of the Go-Fitness visit was an exhibition match between Nicol
David and Jaime Pinto – a clash which attracted a standing-room only
crowd.
 "It’s
hard competing against women – it’s like playing against your
ex-girlfriend!, It’s a great pity that I only play matches as tough as
this about once every two months – so I don’t have the chance to get into
a rhythm.
"But it’s so exciting to see so many people here for the squash. It will
help us reach our goal – which is to have crowds like this all the time."
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The final stop
Later, the WISPA party visited the Estadio Israelita Maccabi club
in Santiago, featuring two brand new glass-backed courts with extensive
galleries – where, again, numerous children joined the capacity crowd to
watch the squash action before getting autographs of the WISPA stars.
One of the highlights of the visit was a match between Nicol David and
former Chilean international and PSA player Marcelo Kaplun. Now
working in the Chilean sports industry, Kaplun was no match for the
nimble David – despite his 194cm frame towering over the petite 163cm
Malaysian!
The action-packed two-day final leg in Chile brought the 2007 WISPA
Promotional Tour to South America to a fitting climax, with all parties
agreeing that the legacy would be significant.
 "It’s
been a real honour to have you here. We have been looking forward to
this for many months - we are so glad you came to see us.
"It’s been a hugely motivational experience for us – and squash in Chile
will certainly benefit greatly from the visit.
"The motivation for kids will rocket – and even Loreto, who hasn’t
played seriously for two years, has told me ‘I’m coming back’! The
impact of your visit is just out of this world.
Chilean Squash Federation Director
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 "We’ve
all travelled all over the world and seen players – men and women -
from numerous different countries.
"But there aren’t many from South America, so hopefully our visit to
this region will inspire more players – especially the girls - to
get better and join the international circuit. "
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 "This
tour overall was an experience of a life time. I would never imagine
being in four different cities in South America and getting such a
warm welcome from the people. We made a lot of good friends, ate
plenty of their amazing food, enjoyed the sights of the city and
played lots of squash with many squash enthusiasts.
"Even though we had such a short time in each of these places, we
got a sense of how they can develop to become bigger squash nations
in the future. I feel fortunate to have been part of it all – and
perhaps played a part in making squash better known in South
America. Muchos Gracias!!!”
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 "I
was really impressed by the numbers of juniors in Chile. With the
enthusiasm and obvious potential of these youngsters, I wouldn't be
surprised to see a few Chilean players on the professional circuit
in the next 5-10 years.
"Overall it was a great experience for me, my first (but hopefully
not last) trip to South America. Hopefully our presence can help
raise the interest and profile of squash in these countries and in
turn bring the WISPA Tour to South America in the near future."
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The Final Word
 "These
have been new experiences for the WISPA group and while Argentina,
Uruguay, and now Chile, have all been very different in character,
there has been one constant ….. everywhere, the sheer enthusiasm for
squash, the vitality of the people, and the eagerness of the people
to make the sport grow, has been so rewarding.
"Countries that could not possibly mount an event featuring top
players have now had the chance for their squash communities to
sample the highest level in the world and, most importantly, to
focus a media spotlight on squash.
"Fortunately, WISPA is blessed with stars who will give up their
time both free and freely, as well as donations to cover the
international costs, and hosts stepping up to the plate when we are
with them. It is a great mix that will help develop real long-term
partnerships for WISPA with the nations."
Andrew Shelley
WISPA Chief Executive
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12-Jun-07:
Warm
welcome
for
WISPA in
Uruguay
The smallest country in South America
provided the warmest of welcomes for Nicol David, Rachael
Grinham and Sarah Fitz-Gerald when the WISPA stars visited
Montevideo, the capital of Uruguay, on the third leg of their
promotional tour of South America.
Uruguay has a
population of just three million, half of whom live in the capital
Montevideo.
Within an hour of arriving in Montevideo,
the WISPA party were welcomed at Club Carrasco, a club in the
upmarket Carrasco district of the city, whose courts were built in
1972.
A packed crowd was captivated by an
exhibition match between Sarah Fitz-Gerald and Rachael Grinham, before
Nicol David faced a challenge from the President's son Jean Paul
Bragard, the champion of Uruguay since 2000.
After a sight-seeing tour of Montevideo,
the WISPA girls visited the British Schools of Montevideo Old Boys and
Old Girls Club.
Uruguay's first squash courts were built in 1945 at the then Old Boys
Club in downtown Montevideo. The clubs recently merged and, in October
last year, opened a new two-court complex on the grounds of the
long-established school which boasts more than 1,000 pupils.
A four-year stint in England as a history
teacher introduced Paula Greco to squash - and she returned to
her home town as Uruguay's only female player!
The two-day visit to Uruguay attracted
widespread national media coverage in newspapers including El Pais,
El Observador and La Republica; the magazine 17
Deportes; the radio station Concierto FM; and the TV channel
Canal 10.
Club
President Paul Bragard is a leading squash figure in the country,
after winning the national crown eight times since 1974 and, in 1985,
becoming the first Uruguayan to win the South American title.
He has also taken on the role of President of the fledgling national
association.
 "It's
hard for squash in this country as the mentality is much more geared to
team sports, like rugby and football, than individual sports.
"But the WISPA visit has definitely given
squash a major boost here - with unprecedented media coverage for the
sport. I'm sure that the squash community here will be talking about
this event for a long time."
Sarah Fitz-Gerald summed up the WISPA
girls' enjoyment of the Montevideo visit: "The hospitality we received was out of this world," said one of the
sport's greatest players of all-time. "For such a small squash
community, they really treated us royally - we will remember this with
great fondness!"
From Uruguay, the WISPA party move onto the
fourth and final leg of the Tour in the Chilean
capital Santiago.
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"It was incredible to play Nicol.
She is not only a
wonderful player, but also a wonderful person. She made me play my best
squash, using all my tricks!
"She's like a spider - getting to all corners of the court so fast! I
had to play as hard as I could. This was one of my best squash
experiences ever. I will remember it for the rest of my life!"
"Squash is not a very
popular sport in Uruguay, and certainly not among women. To have the
opportunity to see the best female squash players in the world play in
Montevideo has been absolutely fantastic.
"Hopefully this tour will encourage more Uruguayan girls and women to
get into the courts and have a go at such an amazing game. It won't be
easy to break with the tradition of seeing squash as a sport only for
men, but I believe the WISPA tour has been the first step
in this
direction."
 "For
our club, this is the perfect moment.
We couldn't think
of a better way of introducing squash to our new combined membership -
not just old boys and old girls, of course, but pupils at the school
too.
"We hope that the crowds that the WISPA trio attracted will show just
what a great sport squash is for women."
Club
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09-Jun-07:
WISPA stars head south...
Just 12 months after visiting the
northernmost squash court in the world, WISPA stars Nicol David, Rachael
Grinham and Sarah Fitz-Gerald took time out during their promotional tour
of South America to check out the most southerly court, in the Argentinean
city of Ushuaia on Tierra Del Fuego.
Ushuaia is the capital of the Argentine province of Tierra del Fuego and
is the world's southernmost city. Located on the southern coast of the
island of Tierra del Fuego, in a setting surrounded by mountains and
overlooking the Beagle Channel, the city has some 60,000 inhabitants -
with an average age of 20!
The unique Ushuaia court is located in the Las Hayas hotel. The
visit provided a perfect opportunity for the WISPA trio to catch up on
training while in the exclusive tourist resort - in the middle of the
region's winter!
 "It
is an unusual court, in that the ceiling ranges between half a metre and a
metre from the out-of-court line - so lobbing is out of the question."
"But I really enjoyed playing on it - and to have visited the nearest
squash court to the South Pole is something special to add to my CV!"
Last year's WISPA Promotional Tour of Estonia
and Norway took in the Norwegian island of Svalbard, where the
northernmost court is located, within some 200 miles of the North Pole!
Whilst in Ushuaia, the WISPA party spent a morning at a nearby ski resort
up in the mountains, where the snow was thick.
 "Being
in Ushuaia has been a great experience. Despite being in the same country,
you couldn't imagine a more different atmosphere from that of the
Argentina capital Buenos Aires, where we began the tour.
"I would love to come back here again in their summer - and, if I did, at
least I could keep up with my on-court training!"
From Ushuaia, the WISPA party move onto the
third leg of the Tour in Montevideo, Uruguay, before concluding the
programme in the Chile capital Santiago.
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Wikipedia on Tierra Del Fuego
A local delicacy for Rachael
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Ushuaia
- "end of the Earth" |
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06-Jun-07:
Buenos Aires benefits
from WISPA visit ...
A four-day
visit to Buenos Aires by three of the biggest names in world squash was
described as an 'historic opportunity for South American squash' by South
American Squash Federation President Claudio Fontanazzi.
The climax of the trip was a dramatic exhibition match witnessed by a
packed crowd at the city's Olimpia Cancilleria club, in which
former world number one Rachael Grinham recovered from match-ball down to
beat Tour rival Nicol David.
Opened in 1982 and situated in central Buenos Aires,
the Olimpia Cancilleria boasts five squash courts as well as a racquetball
court. Like most squash venues in the country, the club is a public
facility, which does not require membership.
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The visit
was part of a 12-day tour of Argentina, Chile and Uruguay organised by the
WISPA - led by Malaysia's world champion and world number one
Nicol David, Australia's world number three Rachael Grinham,
and Sarah Fitz-Gerald, the record five-times world champion,
also from Australia.
The annual tour, the ninth since 1999, is the latest initiative in WISPA’s
continuing drive to promote women's squash around the world.
Nicol and Rachael Grinham test their horse-riding skills at the
La Plegaria ranch
 "Our
players have not only had the chance to see some of the world's best
players in action, but also learn from them in other ways too, by talking
to them as well as being on court with them.
The WISPA Tour has provided an invaluable promotional opportunity for the
sport here - I am sure we will be feeling the benefits for many years to
come.
"This has been a historic opportunity for squash
in South America."
"They play their squash here like they play their football - with passion,
enthusiasm and flair!"
"That was fantastic!
"Jonathon Power was also here for our club's 70th anniversary in
1999. He is my friend. When he finished, he gave me
his racquet, and I always keep it in my bag - but never use it!"
 "We
have received a terrific reception and have laid the foundation for strong
relationships.
"There are wonderfully enthusiastic people here who are passionate about
the women's game.
"A fledgling local women's circuit, embracing
beginners and club players alike, is already in place - and we must look
at ways to encourage its growth."
WISPA Chief Exec
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World stars on show
As well as exhibition matches and challenges against many of the host
country's top players, the WISPA stars also staged a number of interactive
clinics with the Argentinean women's national squad on the eve of the
players' participation in the South American Championships in Colombia.
The
Olimpia Cancilleria crowd also saw Rachael Grinham take on the country's
top junior Gonzalo Miranda, the reigning Pan-American Junior
champion, and Nicol David challenge Argentinean No1 Matias Valenzuela,
the world No 243 from Mar del Plata.
"She is so
accurate," said Valenzuela of his opponent. "Naturally, as a man, I am
stronger than Nicol, but she is so fast around the court."
Midway
through the late-night match, the two players were asked to move from the
main showcourt onto an adjacent court. "The other side of the front wall
is the bedroom of a private house, and our neighbour complains that he
cannot sleep when squash is being played on that court - so we agree not
to use that court after 10.00pm!" explained a club spokesman.
Nicol David played promising junior Antonella
Falcione, a 16-year-old from Mar del Plata who is both the Argentinean
Junior champion and Pan-American junior champion: "Antonella has the
potential to do well in the sport," said David, the former record
two-times world junior champion. "She will need to get funding but she is
very keen and I am sure she will train hard to achieve her goal."
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Coach sees bright future
 "It
is wonderful for our players to see top internationals here in Buenos
Aires," said Guillermo Kesztembaun, the Argentina national coach
since 1993. "The only experience they have of international squash is at
the South American Championships and the Pan-American championships.
"The
legacy of this visit will be the vision of how good these WISPA players
are, and what a great sport squash is."
Kesztembaun expects his national team to finish in the top four in the
regional championships in Colombia. "If not, I will kill myself," joked
the passionate squash enthusiast who has squash logos tattooed on his calf
and shoulder!
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The Squash Club
In addition to the Olimpia Cancilleria club, the WISPA trio also played at
the Circulo de Armas club and The Squash Club, the oldest
club in Buenos Aires, founded in 1929.
"This was
a gift for our eyes," exclaimed Circulo de Armas club President Jorge
Otamendi after David and Grinham showed off their squash prowess.
Founded in
1929, The Squash Club was modelled on British gentlemen's clubs of the
period, and much of the club's original documentation is in English.
However, the club was forced to 're-brand' itself as simply 'Squash Club'
during the Falklands conflict 25 years ago, when all English references
were forbidden!
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Fitz makes the female case
Sarah Fitz-Gerald endeared herself to the packed and wildly enthusiastic
club members who took time off to witness the trio's lunch-time appearance
at the club - taking on, and beating, both the club's former champion
Alejandro "Pulga" Dominguez and current champion Duncan Jub, a
Scottish-born Argentinean who is also a polo player.
'Sarah,
Sarah, Sarah …..' shouted the crowd as they revelled in their icons being
suitably punished!
 Club
captain Diego Gallardo admitted that women are traditionally only
invited to the club once a year, at Christmas.
"We may have to make that tradition two times a year after today!"
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A great boost for
Argentina
At a press conference at the Olimpia club, the Argentina Squash
Association President Ricardo Roude expressed his gratitude to
the WISPA Party:
 "We
feel we owe you something for coming here - it will stimulate our younger
players to improve their squash and help them follow the example of your
great players.
"We are a
third world country with third world budgets. But we have heart and hope
one day we will show the results of this visit," added Roude.
TV cameras
filmed the players answering a variety of questions about the WISPA Tour,
their training regimes, how they became involved with squash, their
Olympic hopes for the sport, etc. Features, including photographs of the
WISPA stars in action, are expected to be seen in the nation's press in
the coming days.
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01-Mar-07:
Argentina, Uruguay
&
Chile to
host
9th
WISPA promo
tour
The Women's
International
Squash Players'
Association
has confirmed details of its ninth annual WISPA Promotional Tour,
which will visit Argentina,
Uruguay and
Chile
from 30 May to
10 June.
Leading the latest initiative in WISPA’s
continuing drive to promote women's squash around the world will be
Malaysia's reigning world champion Nicol David, Australia's
former world number one Rachael Grinham, and Sarah
Fitz-Gerald, the record five-times world champion, also from
Australia.
The Tour itinerary will
feature exhibitions, clinics, press conferences and meetings with sports
bodies in Buenos
Aires and
Montevideo,
before a
planned final leg in
Santiago.
All these programmes have been organised in close co-operation with
the countries' National Squash Federations.
WISPA can rightly claim
to be 'going to the ends of the earth to promote squash'! In 2006, the
WISPA group extended their trips to the Estonian capital of Tallinn and
the Norwegian capital Oslo by visiting the most northern squash court in
the world - in Longyearbyen, situated on the Norwegian island of
Svalbard, which
is less than 600 miles from the North Pole!
This year the players
travel south from Buenos Aires to be the first top players to play on
the globe's most southerly courts - which are sited at Ushuaia in
Cape Horn, the southernmost point of South America.
As in previous years, press conferences and
television coverage will bring squash to the notice of the public -
while local squash enthusiasts will be able to watch, and in some cases
compete against, the WISPA stars.
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"We
have been promoting interest in international squash with these annual
Promotional Tours for nine years now and each time they have led to
enduring relationships.
"So
we look forward to making new friends and to providing a media boost for
the game in three South American countries, courtesy of Rachael, Sarah
and Nicol - who are giving so generously of their time."
WISPA Chief Executive
WISPA's promotional
tour concept was launched in 1999 with a visit to the
Czech Republic.
Successive years featured trips to
Jamaica,
El Salvador,
Peru,
Kenya,
Thailand,
Brunei,
Sarawak,
Russia,
China,
Nepal,
Jordan,
Turkey and,
last year, to Estonia
and
Norway.
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