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16-Jun-04:
Nepal Provides Final Bonus
A visit to the South Asian country of Nepal, which lies between Tibet
and India, provided a fitting finale to the 2004 Promotional Tour
organised by the Women's International Squash Players' Association
(WISPA), after its highly-successful eight-day tour of China.
The tour was the latest initiative in WISPA's continuing drive to
promote women's squash around the world. After leading a number of
clinics, exhibition matches and coaching sessions in China's two main
cities Shanghai and Beijing, Australia's world No2 Rachael Grinham and
world No8 Nicol David, the Asian No1 from Malaysia, again wowed
audiences in Kathmandu in a whistle-stop two-day added stopover on their
way home.
In stark contrast to China, Nepal boasts less than 20 courts nationwide,
with the country's flagship facility being the Nepal Squash Rackets
Association Academy in capital Kathmandu.
Construction began some four years ago, but the impressive complex is
yet to be completed, though its four glass-backed courts already provide
exceptional facilities for a growing group of local players of all ages.
"We were determined to provide a superb facility which was also
available to the public," explained NSRA President Amar Simha. "We were
able to do this by raising funds through selling life memberships, and
now the Association also has ordinary members. But by also making it
available to the public, we believed that we would not only help to make
the game more popular for more people, but also that we would ultimately
generate more elite players who could go on and represent Nepal in
international competitions."
The NSRC was founded in 1987 by a committee led by Major General Bharat
Simha. During a distinguished career in the Nepalese Army, Major General
Simha was an active squash player and responsible for building a number
of courts in Army facilities all over the country.
In 1989, Simha had to resign his inaugural Presidency when called to
London to become the Ambassador for Nepal in Britain - and son Amar took
over the reigns, which he has held ever since. The now-retired Major
General holds the position of Honorary ADC to King Gyanendra of Nepal.
"Now that the NSRA has a membership of some 400, we can stage our first
ever elections - and look forward to the Association being led by an
elected body for the first time," said Amar Simha.
"With the new Academy now almost complete, we can also look forward to
hosting our first major event, and hope to stage a new U19 Asian Junior
Championships later in the year," Simha added.
The WISPA party arrived in Kathmandu on the finals day of the Snow Lion
Tournament, the third year of an event featuring many different
categories and sponsored by NSRA Vice President Bijaya Shreastha,
Managing Director of Snow Lion Carpets.
After an exciting men's final, in which Nepal No1 Hira B Thapa
ultimately outran long-time rival Suresh Gurung, the Nepal No2, Rachael
Grinham and Nicol David treated the crowd to a best-of-five exhibition
match which clearly delighted the enthusiasts who had never before
witnessed squash of such a calibre.
In an end-of-evening prize-giving ceremony which eventually had more
people on court than off, the WISPA stars were presented gifts in honour
of their presence by Major General Simha and two further distinguished
guests, Kamal Thapa and Sarat Singh Bhandari. Thapa, a former Minister
of Home and Local Government, was responsible for providing early
funding for the NSRA, while Bhandari was the country's former Sports
Minister who donated the land on which the Academy has been built.
"Both were significant benefactors to us - our 'godfathers' if you like
- and the NSRA owes them a great debt of gratitude," said President
Simha.
In a speech to the tournament crowd, Amar Simha praised WISPA for
bringing the tour to Nepal: "Their visit here has been a good
opportunity for us in Nepal to see how the game of squash is played
professionally. And to grasp the seriousness and dedication that is
needed to reach such standards and, finally, fame.
"Demonstrations like these are a good way of instilling in our potential
players and youth the qualities, values and discipline that are needed
to excel in sports. Today, the youth of this country needs to see
achievements made in the field of sports, so that they can look up to
these achievements as examples. Sports could be considered as one of the
most important factors in the overall development of a child.
"Hence, with the right sort of resources, technical know-how and
funding, it would be a good opportunity for the youth of this country to
let their potentials be harnessed into something that is more tangible,
like being the World Champion in squash, or in any other games," Simha
explained.
Simha, who himself first learned to play squash when studying in Harrow
in England, added later that squash is an ideal sport for the Nepalese.
"We tend to excel in individual sports, rather than team sports, so I
feel confident that we can achieve success here eventually. Our third
place finish (to Pakistan and India) in the SAF Games last March was a
breakthrough for us, and we are determined to build on that."
Twenty four hours after winning his latest Snow Lion title, Hira Thapa
was able to pit his skills against Rachael Grinham. While Thapa arrived
fresh for the encounter, Grinham had undergone a serious and lengthy
training session with David and, furthermore, was less used to the
Kathmandu altitude than her opponent.
After losing the first game, Thapa came back to take the next and raced
to a 6-2 lead in the decider. But the plucky Australian maintained
WISPA's five-year unbeaten record in such 'battles-of-the-sexes' and
ultimately triumphed 2/1!
"It was a good game," said an exhausted Thapa afterwards. "But what was
so exceptional was how free she made the court, never blocking as my
opponents often do - and she simply doesn't miss anything!"
Nicol David, who also sparred with Suresh Gurung in a match which
thrilled the crowd, said of the WISPA Tour: "It's fantastic to have been
able to play a part in the development of squash in countries like China
and Nepal. I was delighted to have been invited on this trip and have
been overwhelmed by the response we have had.
"You really get the feeling these countries want to grow the sport and
make something out of squash. And we've visited some great places, like
the Great Wall. I'm really, really, looking forward to coming back to
play in the WISPA event in Shanghai, and see the all-glass court in
another stunning location," said David as she left to defend her Asian
Championship title in her home country Malaysia later this week.
In summing up WISPA's 2004 Promotional initiative, Executive Director
Andrew Shelley said: "Imagine the Williams sisters spending a couple of
weeks getting on and off planes, hitting tennis balls with club players
and generally joining local tennis communities for a while - all without
getting paid.
"It doesn't compute - yet that is exactly what Rachael and Nicol have
done for the last fortnight; and that is what makes them and the other
top WISPA girls so special," said Tour mastermind Shelley.
"But special too are all the people we have met. The enthusiasts in
Shanghai and Beijing are a wonderful group, and with the huge
organisational efforts being made by the China Squash Association, all
deserve to have increasing courts and attention at home.
"We have already developed a strong bond with the CSA and are trying to
support them - but the major thrust must come from them. Our resources
are limited, but although WISPA represents the women's professional end
of the sport, we must do what we can to help nurture the grassroots,"
Shelley pointed out.
"And the same is true with the great new friends we have briefly made in
Nepal in the last couple of days.
"Both the Chinese and Nepalese have said how inspirational our visit has
been - but it has been the same for us too. We are delighted to have had
the opportunity to promote squash in this way; and WISPA is very
grateful to our main hosts the China Squash Association, the Nepal SRA,
the players and flight sponsor Tom Tarantino. Without all these
elements, and especially Tom's support, none of this would be possible."
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WISPA TOUR 2004
Nepal Squash Rackets Association coach Dhurba Gurung,
flanked by Rachael and Nicol David, with a lively and enthusiastic group
of local kids who participated in the coaching sessions at the NSRC
Academy.
Nicol and Rachael join Snow Lion Squash Tournament stars (L to R)
Bhavana Sunuwar (women's champion), Suresh Gurung (men's runner-up) and
Hira B Thapa (men's champion)
Nicol and Rachael after receiving presentations from founder NSRA
President Major General Bharat Keshar Simha (centre), and former
Government Ministers Kamal Thapa (left) and Sarat Singh Bhandari
(right).
NSRA President Amar Simha shows Nicol and Rachael the
entrance to the NSRC Academy in its final stages of completion
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11-Jun-04:
China aims for World's
Biggest Squash Event
The visit to Beijing, the second leg of the promotional tour to
China organised jointly by WISPA and the China Squash Association, has
inspired the CSA to aim ultimately at staging the world's biggest event.
Following the stage in Shanghai, top world squash players Rachael
Grinham and Nicol David again impressed a host of players, officials and
media in China's capital city over three days, visiting four different
clubs.
The 2004 tour to China is the latest initiative in WISPA's continuing
drive to promote women's squash around the world. Led by Australia's
Rachael Grinham, the world No2, and Asian No1 Nicol David,
the world No8 from Malaysia; featured clinics, exhibition matches and
coaching sessions.
The party was welcomed by delegates from the CSA, including Vice
President Wang Li Wei, Secretary General Peng Ning, and
the day-to-day driving force behind the organisation Deng Li, the
Deputy Secretary General.
CSA BUILDS SQUASH IN CHINA
The CSA was formed in 1999, following a visit to the country by Susie
Simcock and Prasad Pillai, representing the World Squash Federation (WSF)
and Asian Squash Federation (ASF), respectively. The administration of
all sports in China is the responsibility of the Chinese Sports
Commission, with priority given to Olympic sports. Whilst Olympic sports
are funded by the CSC, others are expected to seek funding from
commercial sources.
Formerly managing the Olympic sport of handball, Mr Deng saw the
potential of squash in China and moved to the CSA less than a year ago.
His visit to last December's Women's World Open in Hong Kong, where he
saw elite squash for the first time, led to a further meeting with WISPA
Executive Director Andrew Shelley, following discussions at the WSF AGM
two months earlier, and plans for this tour took shape.
One of Deng's first initiatives was a National Conference in March,
which attracted 80 delegates with interest in the sport's development in
China. The number of courts in mainland China is still unclear, though
it is thought to be more than 400, with Beijing and Shanghai perhaps
having almost half this number.
One of the CSA's leading initiatives is the launch of a magazine
"Squash" which is a joint venture with publishers "Velocity Sports". The
new title, just launched, will be produced quarterly and will be sent to
all CSA members and squash facilities all over the country. Featured on
the cover of the launch issue is Franco Amadei, the Chairman and
CEO of Fiat China, who has been a passionate supporter of squash since
arriving in China from Rome 15 years ago. He and his Chinese wife Luna,
the No1 woman player in Beijing, have vowed to do whatever it takes to
help the CSA get squash off the ground in the country.
WISPA STARS TAKE ON
ALL-COMERS
Rachael and Nicol continued to spar with local enthusiasts eager to
challenge such notable world squash stars - and always came out on top.
Some 100 players in Beijing participate in a sophisticated ladder scheme
- largely initiated by Franco Amadei - in which challenges are played
out over a number of facilities in the city and the ratings updated
weekly.
Chow Lap Ming, originally from Hong Kong, is the much-revered No1
on this list and prompted a packed gallery at the Capital Club when he
took on Rachael for a best-of-three encounter. Much to the delight of
his fans who have rarely seen him lose, Rachael swept to a
straightforward 2-0 victory and posed for the cameras afterwards as if
slaying her vanquished opponent!
"That was a great game - I've never played a world No2 before," said the
local hero afterwards. "It was what I expected, but she just played too
well in all areas."
Earlier, the party visited the massive Qing Zhi Yuan apartment complex
which features two glass-backed McWil courts. A packed press conference
attracted Beijing and Central TV and a host of journalists and
photographers.
The club also boasts China's first qualified coach, Liu Bin, who
is proud of the fact that he gained his Level 2 qualification at the
Australian Institute of Squash in Brisbane at the same time as former
world No1 Michelle Martin.
"This visit has been a milestone in Chinese squash," said Liu Bin later.
"We will look back on it in years to come and realise it was a turning
point in the development of the sport in our country - and I am sure
next
November's WISPA event in Shanghai will have a similar effect."
The Olympic Garden includes a sports centre developed by the
Chinese Sports Commission and boasts an array of features that would be
the envy of most sports centres. Around 18,000 live in the apartment
development that the centre services. In front of another large and
enthusiastic crowd, the girls started with an exhibition before a
variety of local players became heroic failures against the WISPA
players.
Chauncey Ma, his wife Ruby and daughter Jasmine are residents of
the development, and all now play: "We started when we moved in two
months ago. Mr Lui gave us an introduction and we now play every
Friday".
The clinic at the Beijing Olympic Centre attracted an appearance by
Karen Li, editor of China National Radio and a part-time player
herself. Miss Li conducted a lengthy interview with Grinham and Shelley
which will be featured in a sports programme to be aired to households
all over the vast country later in the month.
MASSIVE CHINESE TV MARKET
The media interest in the WISPA Tour has been impressive, and national
press and TV have already aired news of the squash development and the
historic forthcoming event in Shanghai. Vic Flores, the Director
of WISPA's television programming who has been present on the tour for
the first time, sees it as a significant breakthrough.
"It's been absolutely fantastic. The agreement we have struck with CCTV,
starting with the Shanghai event in November, means that we will achieve
a five-fold increase in the television audiences for WISPA. This will
take WISPA's potential TV audience to around 1.5 billion, which is more
than has ever been achieved for squash before."
In addition to their promotion of squash, the WISPA party were also able
to enjoy Beijing's most famous tourist attractions. Visits to Tiananmen
Square, and the Forbidden City, and the Great Wall, were memorable in
every way.
As the week-long tour to mainland China drew to a close, Deng Li
was delighted with its achievements: "We had been looking forward to,
and preparing for, this visit from the moment it was first conceived. We
are indebted to Karl Mak of LeisurePro whose help in liaising between us
and WISPA has been invaluable. We had two objectives: to learn from the
two women players Rachael and Nicol, and to find out how to run
promotional activities for squash from a major international
organisation such as WISPA.
"The visit gave our local players a unique opportunity to play with top
players - to really get a feel for top-level squash," said the CSA
Executive.
"At the same time, it gave a world body such as WISPA the chance to see
the where we are in squash, and give us some assistance.
"It was a most beneficial experience for our local players, all of whom
wished that Rachael and Nicol could have stayed longer so that they
could have spent more time with them. Now they realise what a long way
they have to go - there being such a gulf between their standard and
that of the girls.
"From the CSA's point of view, we hope this visit will not be a one-off
so that other outside bodies can help us improve the popularity of
squash. CSA may currently be a small association, but we have all the
confidence of becoming as successful as others around the world.
"Media exposure is also very important to us and our new magazine will
be an important tool to expose squash to local communities.
"We are seeking every opportunity to develop this success here, to build
on the one event in Shanghai in November to other events in other parts
of China. Indeed our ultimate aim in the future will be to stage the
biggest ever event in the sport here in China," Deng concluded.
RACHAEL CAN'T WAIT
Rachael Grinham had no idea what to expect on her first visit to China,
and her first participation in a WISPA Promotional Tour:
"The welcome and hospitality we've received here has been awesome - and
it's great to have had the opportunity to come to a country like China
and help in their promotion of squash," said the 27-year-old British
Open champion from Queensland.
"There's clearly enormous potential for squash here in China, and Nicol
and I can't wait to come back for our event in Shanghai later in the
year."
The Tour continues in Nepal at the weekend ...
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"Our ultimate aim in
the future will be to stage the biggest ever event in the sport
here in China"
Deng Li,
CSA Deputy Secretary General |
The Wall Game ...
Beijing squash enthusiasts welcome Rachael and Nicol to
Beijing
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"That
was a great game -
I've never played a world
No2 before!" |
Rachael celebrates her victory over Beijing's No1
player Chow Lap Ming
Nicol and Rachael by the
entrance to the Forbidden Palace
in Tiananmen Square
Nicol and Rachael in traditional costume by the Great Wall of China
Nicol and Rachael and Andrew Shelley join the CSA's
Deng Li, Deputy Secretary General (left), Wang Li Wei, Vice President
(third left) and Peng Ning, Secretary General (right)
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06-Jun-04:
Shanghai Embraces
WISPA Promotional Tour
The three-day appearance in
Shanghai by top world squash players Rachael Grinham and Nicol
David, on the first leg of the promotional visit to China organised
jointly by the Women's International Squash Players' Association and the
China Squash Association, has raised enthusiasm for the Shanghai
WorldStars Women's Squash Championship which will be staged on the
city's stunning Bund waterfront in November.
Announced on the opening day of the visit, the WorldStars Championship
will be the first international squash event ever to be held in mainland
China. The WISPA Gold tournament will feature all of the world's top
women players, including Australia's Rachael Grinham, the world No2, and
Asian No1 Nicol David, the world No8 from Malaysia.
The 2004 tour to China is the latest initiative in WISPA's continuing
drive to promote women's squash around the world. The Shanghai stage was
primarily hosted by the Shanghai Jinqiao Megafit Sports Club,
which welcomed the WISPA party for two days. The visit featured clinics,
exhibition matches and coaching sessions for a host of local players.
Shanghai, China's second largest city, boasts a population of more than
20 million and is considered the leading commercial centre in China.
Squash in its infancy in the city which features high-rise buildings as
far as the eye can see, and where there are more bicycles than cars.
There are pockets of players spread around Shanghai, enjoying their
sport at mainly single-court facilities.
Officially opened just two weeks earlier, the superbly-appointed Megafit
Sports Club boasts five ASB glass-backed courts, together with four
tennis courts, eight badminton courts, two basketball courts, an indoor
swimming pool, a multi-function gymnasium and 'Spa Fusion'. Nestling
within the Green City near the Jinqiao Export Zone, the impressive club
is spread over 11,000 square metres - and offers the biggest squash
facility in China.
"It is truly an honour to be hosting the first leg of this WISPA
promotional tour to China," said club manager Walter MacDonald
before the opening session. Macdonald, originally from Inverness in
Scotland, has lived in China for many years and joined the Megafit
organisation at the beginning of the year to oversee the Jinqiao club
launch.
Many of the squash players in Shanghai are ex-pats, from neighbouring
countries like Hong Kong and Singapore, or from further afield like the
UK and the USA. These, and newly-inspired local players, have formerly
relied on overseas coaches to set them on the right path, though Megafit
have appointed Shanghai-based Dick Dai as Assistant Squash Coach
to oversee the squash programme at the club.
Grinham and David wowed the enthusiastic squash followers at Megafit,
none of whom had experienced squash at this level before. Shanghai's top
local player Johnnie Cia revelled in his chance to play
three-times Asian champion Nicol David. The 25-year-old, who only took
up the game three years ago, was almost speechless after his one-game
encounter.
"She can control the ball so well, with no mistakes, and gets the ball
so deep," said Cia. "I must concentrate on my positioning, and learn to
control the ball like Nicol."
Judy Ding is another local player who has become a recent convert
to squash. "It was so useful to see, and play with, both Rachael and
Nicol," said Ding, who will assist Dick Dai as a coach at Megafit.
A press conference at Megafit attracted two TV channels as well as a
host of journalists and photographers - all eager to discover the appeal
of this relatively unknown sport. Rachael, Nicol and WISPA Executive
Director Andrew Shelley were interviewed by Orient TV and
Shanghai TV, and the players filmed on court.
At the end of the Megafit visit, Walter MacDonald was full of
praise for the efforts made by the party to inspire enthusiasm for
squash amongst the club's members. "The visit has not only helped raise
the awareness of our own recent launch, but has highlighted the appeal
of squash to the whole Shanghai community.
"Rachael and Nicol could not have been more obliging in playing with and
talking to all the people that came to the sessions - everybody really
enjoyed and it and we are eternally grateful for their warmth and
generosity. We have a number of kids' programmes planned for squash, and
this will really help us kick-start this initiative," MacDonald added.
On the third day, the party visited the squash club at Hong Kou Stadium.
Run by General Manager Mr Sheng, the club is a public facility
run by the Shanghai Sports Commission. Originally featuring two
glass-backed courts, the club recently converted a badminton court into
a third squash court due to the ever-increasing demand for squash!
The club hosts squash sessions for the nearby Shanghai Sports Institute,
which was established in 1952 and is the oldest Sports University in
China, with students from all over China. Mr Yao, the Institute's
Principal, is the Deputy Commissioner of the Shanghai Sports Commission
and also sits on the organising committee of November's Shanghai
WorldStars Championship.
"We Welcome From Our Heart The World WISPA Players Coming To Our Club"
read a large banner, written in Chinese, displayed at the entrance of
the club. Some twenty Institute students eagerly awaited the opportunity
to see the WISPA stars in action, then queued to battle with them
individually on court.
"Sadly, unlike sports like tennis and badminton, squash does not have
dedicated facilities and full-time coaches at Universities in China,"
said Yang Jian Fei. "What we need is more Chinese coaches, who can
inspire us, then the sport has the chance to take off," added Yang, a
convert to squash when he chanced upon a game being played at the
stadium club.
"It has been a great experience for us to see world-class players like
Rachael and Nicol here - and I look forward to more opportunities like
this, and the big event in Shanghai later in the year," said Yang.
As the party prepared to leave Shanghai, en-route to the second leg in
Beijing, Karl Mak acknowledged that the visit had been a
sensational success. Hong Kong-based Mak, the Megafit Clubs' Sport &
Recreational Consultant who is also a Technical Advisor to Hong Kong
Squash, played a significant role in the planning and co-ordination of
the WISPA Tour.
"The tour has been a huge success for three reasons: Firstly, it has
given local players a unique chance to play against some of the world's
top players, and see them in action - something which all the best
players in Shanghai were able to benefit from over the past few days. It
was good for them to see what top quality squash is all about," Mak
explained.
"It was also good for the Jinqiao District Government, who actually own
the Megafit club which we manage on their behalf, to see that we have
fulfilled what was planned. We insisted that squash should be one of the
facilities on offer at the club, and then ensured that the courts were
of international standard. Now we have been able to show endorsement of
this commitment by this visit by WISPA, one of the sport's leading
international bodies.
"And furthermore, such has been the professionalism, discipline and hard
work put in by the WISPA party, that we know that the visit will achieve
worldwide media coverage, and will therefore help us to raise the
profile of the development of squash in China," Mak added.
"Rachael and Nicol are a credit to WISPA and the women squash
professionals around the world - we really did not expect them to be so
generous with their time, but they exceeded our expectations in every
way."
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Enthusiastic Megafit players join
Rachael and Nicol in a welcome photograph by the club's five courts
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WISPA moves onto
Chinese mainland
Another new WISPA Gold event has
been announced, with Shanghai set to stage mainland China's
first ever tournament in November, the WorldStars Championship |
Nicol with Johnnie Cia
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Nicol and Rachael at the Megafit Sports Club with (L to R): Javi
(from Hong Kong, studying at famous Fudan University in Shanghai);
Judy Ding (Assistant Coach at Megafit); and Helen (a former
football player who took up squash a year ago) |
Nicol entertains a group of
Megafit members.
The Shanghai Sports Institute students with Rachael and Nicol at the
Hong Kou Stadium
Shanghai Squash
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