LATEST NEWS

14.5.08
Mandatory Rules Presentations
The mandatory rules presentations for pennant players are being organised for August, information will be sent out to clubs over the next few weeks.

13.5.08
David Palmer Wonder Man!
David Palmer claimed his fourth British Open squash crown when he beat England’s James Willstrop in the final 11-9, 11-9, 8-11, 6-11, 11-10 (3-1). David the most consistent player on the PSA tour over the last decade has done it again, fought back in a brilliant tough five setter,
David Congratulations from all at NSW Squash!

NSW Squash Country Junior Age Championships
Held at Dapto Leagues Squash Centre on May 10/11, saw juniors from all over the State compete. A big thank you to Tony Bullman for hosting the event and Sue Doherty Tournament Director. Winners and Runners Up were;

Event	Winner	Runner Up
Boys U19	E Swan Maash	S Summers Maash
Boys U17	A Mulhall Coffs	C Badenhorst Dural
Boys U15	S Evans Bathurst	L Collins Singleton
Boys U13	N Youd Elanora	R Toole Canowinda
Boys U11	J Keegan Orange	J Ireland Nambucca
Girls U17/15	M Gray Grafton	Holly Barnes ACT
Girls U13	A Ferguson Ray Terr	E Benacquists Ray Terr
Girls U11	A Ford Bomadery	E Gillies Engadine

12.5.08
GO DAVID! We are cheering for you!
NSW Squash Ambassador David Palmer into the Final of the Bristish Open
David Palmer will play Englishman James Willstrop in the final of the British Open squash championships after the New South Welshman beat Egypt’s Karim Darwish in the semi-finals in Liverpool on Sunday.Palmer and Darwish were locked at one game apiece when the Egyptian suffered an Achilles injury while leading 8-3 in the third.The 31-year-old Palmer, a three-time champion at this event, said that after a blazing start he had fallen into the trap of playing a style of game that Darwish enjoyed.And he said that although he had adjusted after Darwish had raced to an early lead in the third, he conceded he had been fortunate when his opponent was forced to retire.“In the first game I was playing particularly well, but I thought he was very slow,” Palmer said.“Then it sort of turned round in the second – I lost my length, got slow and he started playing extremely well. “If you go short against an Egyptian, he’ll punish you, and that’s exactly what happened. “I started to get worried a bit with the speed Karim was running away with it.“I was still relaxed and focused, which is essential in my game, and we started to string a few long and better points at the end, but still, I would have had to work very hard to get myself out of trouble.”Making the final is a triumph for Palmer, who has slipped from number two to number six in the world rankings this year as pundits speculated he would no longer challenge for major titles.He moved to Boston from his previous training base in Belgium and no longer has daily contact with coach Shaun Moxham, resulting in a number of early round exits in recent tournaments.“I’m feeling good physically, I’m glad that I’ve gone back to my old hard training,” he said.“We spoke a lot with Shaun, and I’ve worked on both the physical and the mental side, to make sure I believed that I could win that kind of tournaments again.“I feel a bit strange, but very happy to be in the final for the fourth time.”He will have his work cut out against world number three Willstrop, who looked impressive during his 11-7, 11-3, 11-7 win over Frenchman Thierry Lincou. The women’s final will be between world number one Nicol David of Malaysia and England’s Jenny Duncalf.

Palmer Eyes Fourth British Open Title
Australian David Palmer is eyeing off his fourth British Open crown after shocking world number one Amr Shabana in the quarter-finals of the world’s most famous squash tournament.Palmer, from Lithgow in New South Wales, beat the Egyptian 11-6, 3-11, 11-5, 11-8 on a day of upsets in Liverpool on Saturday.The news was not all good for Australia, however, as Rachael Grinham was herself upset by England’s Jenny Duncalf 9-5, 1-9, 9-7, 9-1 to end her hopes of a successful title defence.Palmer reached the semi-finals for the seventh time of his career with his win over Shabana.He started strongly and took advantage of the Egyptian’s early nerves to take the first game.Shabana stormed back to easily win the second and it looked as though the 31-year-old Australian’s challenge was fading.But Palmer then took control, winning the third and coming back from 7-3 down to take the fourth and the match.“I don’t think either of us played particularly well, although Shabana can play shots from everywhere,” Palmer said.“He hit a lot of winners, which is to be expected, and I never felt comfortable for a moment out there.“I started playing well from midway in the first, my length was good, although I lost it in the second.“Throughout the match I tried to take advantage of the moments he was not playing particularly well.“In the fourth, I decided not to save any energy, to go for it, not to think about a possible semi final – lose yes, but with no regrets, just to give it all I had.”Palmer faces another Egyptian in the semi-finals, seventh seed Karim Darwish, who upset defending champion Gregory Gaultier, with the winner to play either Frenchman Thierry Lincou or England’s James Willstrop.

8.5.08
NSW Squash Junior Country Championships 10 - 11 May
Commence this Saturday at the Dapto Leagues Squash Club. First round match times will be available after 6pm Thursday 8 May on 9484 8271.

HEAD Supporting NSW Squash
NSW Squash & HEAD are pleased to announce that HEAD have become the Sponsors for a number of NSW Squash Events.
These events include:
1. The Sydney Matrix Challenge Series
2. The Sydney Junior Pennant Competition - North
3. NSW Open and Graded Championships
Martin Leo, HEAD National Sales Manger, said of the agreement, "We are delighted to be supporting NSW Squash through it's Events and hope to continue this agreement into tyhe future".

National Drinks Deal Secured
Squash Australia are just confirmed that a new National Drinks Deal, for all affilaited members of the State Associations, has been secured with Frucor Beverages. Squash Australian in conjunction with NSW Squash have been negotiating the deal over the last couple of months and information will soon be sent out to all affiliated members.

7.5.08
HEAD to Sponsor NSW Open for 3 Years
Martin Leo, National Sales Manager of HEAD,  has confirmed that HEAD are delighted be the major sponsor of the NSW Open for the next 3 years. The NSW Open is of of the oldest events on the Australian squash calendar and has been won by many great champions with many graded winners going on to greater heights.
The Open will be held on August 15 - 17 with Graded & Doubles events also held and registered for the matrix. Entry forms will be available shortly, see tournaments

David Palmer Confirms Entry to NSW Squash Open
Twice World Champion and triple British Open Champion, NSW Squash Ambassador David Palmer is playing in the NSW Open for the first time in over a decade. David will be back in Australia in August to compete in the Australian Open, Qld Open  finishing with the NSW Open. David, speaking  from his Boston base, said that he is excited to be playing in the NSW Open and it would be great if he could make it a clean sweep of all 3 titles. David is vying for his first Australian Open Title. David will also be competing in a Doubles. The NSW Open is a PSA and WISPA Event, featuring Doubles Events

Level 1 Coaching Course
The first 2008 level 1 coaching course was held on 3-4 May with 11 participants from across the state attending. Participants hailed from Warren, Bega, Central Coast, Lismore and Sydney with a mixture of men, women and juniors. Course presentator Grant Gough was pleased said the group went well and enjoyed the weekend.
If you or your centre is interested in attending or holding a coaching course please contact NSW Squash.

4.5.08
Women's World #13 Kasey Brown Confirms Entry into Australian Closed and Graded Championships
The Australian Closed and Graded Championships, a Squash Australia Event being hosted by NSW Squash, will be held June 13 - 15 at Thornleigh Squash Centre. The event was first held in Melbourne and is the next major event after the Australian Open on the Squash Australia Calendar. The event is a PSA and WISPA event as well as a registered Martix event. This year a mixed doubles has been introduced which will be played underv the recently amended WSF Doubles Rules.
The Closed is open to all Australian Nationals at the Men's and Women's Open level, the Graded Events will include State, A, B, C for the Men and State, A and B for the Women.
As well as confirmed entry World #13 NSW Kasey Brown, now based in New York, many of Australia's top players will compete with members from the Australian Institute of Sport Squash Unit.
Entry forms are now available on the NSW Squash website, see tournaments, or at your squash centre.

30.4.08
All Pennant Players and Clubs/Centres Please Be Note
There is a new By Law 5.6 relating to Alcohol, Gambling & Harassment with special attention in regards to minors, please read it. The By Laws are in your pennant books, please make sure you get your copy from your club as it also now has a copy of the rules of squash in it,  and on the website, see Sydney Pennants

May Senior Rankings Now Available
See Rankings

25.4.08
Squash On IOC Shortlist For 2016 Olympic Games
Following extensive global campaigning by the World Squash Federation since the sport narrowly missed out being added to the London 2012 programme, the WSF has received news from the IOC that Squash has been included on the shortlist of sports under consideration for the 2016 Olympic Games.
In a letter to Jahangir Khan, IOC Sports Director Christophe Dubi congratulated and thanked the WSF President "most sincerely for the tremendous work you accomplished in order to complete the questionnaire for IOC Recognised International Federations".
Squash has been selected along with Baseball, Golf, Karate, Roller Sports, Rugby and Softball.
Played by around 15 million enthusiasts on all five continents, Squash has been vigorously campaigning to join the Olympic Games programme for many years. 
In 2005, Squash was voted into the London 2012 Olympic Games ahead of Karate, Roller Sports, Rugby and Golf - but then failed to achieve the two-thirds majority required to become ratified as an Olympic sport.
"I am confident that the reason why Squash was chosen ahead of other sports in 2005 is down to its image as an intensely athletic, healthy, universal, inclusive and exciting world sport," said the WSF President.  "This image is the result of decades of positive development."
Khan was delighted to receive the IOC letter, only days after being the final torchbearer in the Beijing Olympic Torch Relay in Islamabad, the capital of his home country Pakistan.
"This is truly excellent news for our sport," said one of the sport's most distinguished players, with six World Open titles and record ten British Open trophies to his name.  "We will be working very hard to convince the IOC that Squash deserves a place on the Olympic Programme."
Following the 2005 IOC meeting in Singapore, the WSF lobbied for a change in the Olympic charter which would reduce from two-thirds to a simple majority the voting policy for ratification as an Olympic sport - thus aligning the threshold with the existing policy for Olympic sports.  This decision was duly taken at the IOC session in Guatemala in July 2007.
Squash presents a compelling case for inclusion on the Olympic Programme after experiencing significant global growth since being voted the No1 sport at the 2005 IOC Session in Singapore:
Squash is primarily a ‘participant sport’, as the vast majority of people associated with it actually play, leading to real health/recreational benefits to society. The sport is played by an estimated 15 million people in over 155 countries - with more than a quarter million registered athletes, plus over 600 professional athletes. 
Juniors are an area of rapid growth:  The 2008 World Men's Junior Championships in Switzerland boast a record entry.  The WSF has not only recently decided to make its World Junior Championships an annual event due to demand, but will also create a new Juniors Committee and a global ranking system.  The flourishing European Junior Circuit featured 20 tournaments in 17 different countries in the 2006/07 season, with a record number of entries. Squash enjoys a solid spread of talent:  All continents were represented in the top six positions at the 2007 World Men’s Team Championship and top 11 at the World Women’s Team Championship in 2006. The WSF now has 138 Member Nation Federations (up from 125 in 2004) and more than 80% of all MNFs organise an Annual National Championship across gender and all age groups. Women account for approximately 30% of all recreational players and 37% of professional athletes.  Furthermore the WSF board boasts a 60/40 male/female breakdown. The sport is played in over 20 multi-sport Games including the World Games, All-Africa Games, Asian Games, Pan American Games, Commonwealth Games (in which it has been named as a 'core sport'), World University Championships and World Masters Games.  This compares to just two events in 1991!  Squash is also a “high value” sport for Organising Committees as facilities required for an Olympic event are both economical and temporary.  TV production technology has developed positively in the past few years - and Squash is now regularly featured on TV in more than 125 countries across all continents. Web streaming has taken off over the past three years:  The last two World Championships each reached audiences in over 75 countries while PSALIVE.tv has over 30,000 paid subscribers in only two years of operation.

NSW Squash 2008 Country Junior Age Championships
Will be held from May 9 - 11 at the Dapto Leagues Squash Club, open to all junor players for entry forms see tournaments.

NSW Squash Initiates Squash Matrix Challenge Series
NSW Squash has initiated a series of 5 events under the banner of the NSW Squash Matrix Challenge Series sponsored by HEAD. The 2nd event will be held at President Squash on Sunday 4th May, see tournaments for entry form and more details, all inquiries and entry forms can be directed to NSW Squash.
The Sydney Matrix Challenge Series:

August 3 @ Willoughby Squash
October 12 @ Elanora Squash
November 23 @ Northmead Squash

15.4.08
Junior Ranking
The latest junior ranking list is now available (see rankings).

6.4.08
Brown Wins First Title for 2008 in Montreal
Australian Kasey Brown claimed the biggest title of her career when she beat France’s Isabelle Stoehr 2-9, 9-6, 9-4, 9-0 in the final of the Atwater Cup squash tournament in Montreal on Saturday. The 22-year-old third seed from Taree in New South Wales made her breakthrough in the semi-finals of the inaugural event when she outplayed favourite Vanessa Atkinson, avenging her defeat by the former world champion in last year’s World Open in Madrid. In that match Brown only managed to score five points in three games against the Dutchwoman. Brown was also after revenge in the Atwater Cup final, this time against fourth seeded Stoehr, who beat the Australian in their only two previous meetings, both in 2007.Stoehr took the opening game but Brown, who at 15 is ranked seven places higher than her French opponent, romped back to record an impressive victory. The success marks Brown's first Women’s International Squash Players’ Association title of the year and the eighth of her career since her maiden title triumph in the WA Open in Perth in May 2005.

Local Member Mrs Judy Hopwood Supports NSW Squash's Plans
Following, is the speach Mrs JUDY HOPWOOD gave in Pariament late 2007 (Hornsby) [5.55 p.m.]: I support the administration of New South Wales Squash and the Thornleigh Squash Centre in my electorate of Hornsby. I pay tribute to Carin Clonda, the chief executive of New South Wales Squash and manager of the Thornleigh Squash Centre, for the hard work she has relentlessly put in over many years. Carin is a squash champion. She has certainly been involved in the history of squash in Australia and wants to be involved with its future. On behalf of Carin I express my extreme disappointment that her submission to the Department of Sport and Recreation for a grant under the Regional Sports Facility Program has been knocked back at stage two. Carin was very disappointed with that decision because she has great aspirations for the Thornleigh Squash Centre. Today a wonderful article by Steven Deare appeared in the Hornsby Advocate entitled "Squash centre in need of upgrade". The article, which outlined some of the issues, stated:
Warped floorboards, crumbling concrete, leaky bathrooms and windows lined with fungus—that's what Thornleigh Squash Centre might present to world squash stars next year if government funding isn't forthcoming. The centre will next year host early rounds of the inaugural Australian International Squash Classic. NSW Squash wants the tournament to attract overseas stars, with plans for finals to be played in a glass court in Circular Quay. I have seen photographs of the proposed glass court positioned in Campbell Cove with views of the Opera House, and it is absolutely magnificent. I have seen glass squash courts outside Cairo near the pyramids. That was a wonderful spectacle. The article continued:
However NSW Squash chief executive Carin Clonda said a government grant was needed if the tournament was to be a premier world event.
"It's about having world-class players in your back yard," she said. "This was meant to be our showpiece facility," she said of the nine-court Thornleigh complex, the home of NSW Squash.
"But over the years it's been run down. We want to modernise it."
Built in 1979, the facility has steadily deteriorated.
The roof of the centre has recently been replaced but Clonda lists many other problems, such as faulty plumbing. There are other issues related to the court. Recently I visited Carin at the squash centre. I was given a tour and had a thorough discussion about what is required. Squash is played by more than 20 million people worldwide in 147 countries. Squash has been played in New South Wales since the early 1900s. The men's association was first formed in 1932 and the women's association in the 1960s. New South Wales Squash Limited, the amalgamated governing body of this sport, was formed in 1992. In the 1980s squash was the largest participant sport in Australia with more than one million people enjoying the sport, a squash centre in practically every suburb of every major city and at least two centres in every major regional town. Squash courts were everywhere—universities, residential properties, corporate properties, et cetera. New South Wales has produced many champions since the 1960s: sport legend Heather McKay, Ken Hiscoe, Sue Newman, Rodney Martin, Michelle Martin, Peter Nance, Carin Clonda, current world champion David Palmer, Sydney-grown Anthony Ricketts, as well as many other world ranked players. New South Wales Squash was the leading and most progressive organisation in Australia and New South Wales was the leading squash player-producing State.
It is absolutely essential that the Government reconsider the provision of funding to this particular complex. It is owned by New South Wales Squash and the premises are valuable. Squash is a tremendously enjoyable game and many people are increasing the number of times they play. If the squash world circuit is coming to Australia it is essential that we entertain them in a centre of excellence. I thoroughly support Carin Clonda in her tireless efforts to increase knowledge of squash, enable the sport to grow, and establish Thornleigh as the centre of squash in Australia.

Last modified 11/02/2008 10:50:22:  

Kasey Brown into Final in Montreal - Canada
New South Wales’s Kasey Brown shocked top seed and former world number one Vanessa Atkinson of the Netherlands in the semi-finals of the Atwater Cup squash tournament in Montreal, winning 9-2, 3-9, 10-9, 9-1 on Friday.Brown was playing Atkinson for the first time since the Dutchwoman dismissed the 22-year-old from Taree in last year’s World Open in Madrid for the loss of just five points.But this time Brown was in impressive form as she reached her second tour final this year and the 15^th of her career.Brown will play France's Isabelle Stoehr in a surprise final after the Frenchwoman beat second seeded Irishwoman Madeline Perry in the second semi-final.

Pilley Up In World Rankings

New South Wales player Cameron Pilley has moved to number 18 in the world in the latest rankings issued by the men’s Professional Squash Association (PSA).

The 25-year-old from Yamba in northern New South Wales reached the final of the top class Canary Wharf Classic during March, where he went down to world number four James Willstrop in a classic five-game final.

Lithgow’s David Palmer was the highest ranked Australian at number five, while Canberra’s Stewart Boswell, who is currently out of action with a back injury, slipped two places to 16.

Amr Shabana from Egypt stayed at number one ahead of compatriot Ramy Ashour.

Bradley Hindle, from Mackay in Queensland, rose two places to a career-high 69 on the strength of his maiden PSA title in Slovenia, while West Australian Wade Johnstone jumped four spots to 75 in the world.

The biggest Australian movers were young guns Matthew Karwalski from Raymond Terrace in NSW and Brisbane’s Zac Alexander.

Karwalski leaped 19 places to number 90 in the world, while Alexander, who won his first ever PSA tournament on Monday, soared 39 positions to be world number 145.

National Junior Series - Ballarat
Event 1 Geoff Hunt Classic results click here. Event 2 Sarah Fitzgeralf Classic results click here.
NSW Squash sent a travelling squad of 15 juniors to the first major Australian junior event of the year which attracted just over 170 entries, including players from Hong Kong, New Zealand and New Caledonia, see results.

Autumn Pennant Books
Have been delivered to all clubs. The new look pennant book now has the rules of squash in it as well as entry forms for the Sydney Matrix Challenge Series, NSW Open & Doubles and the Australian Closed & Graded Championships. Please ask your centre or club for your pennant book.

2008 NSW Squash Tournament Calendar Now Available
Click on NSW Tournament Calendar to view

Pilley Goes Down In Epic Final at Canary Wharf
England's James Willstrop took out the Canary Wharf Classic squash tournament for a third time with a battling performance against Australian Cameron Pilley, winning the final in London 9-11, 11-9, 8-11, 11-6, 11-3.The 24-year-old second seed fought back from the brink of collapse to overturn a 2/1 deficit in games as Pilley, the seventh seed, came close to a shock result in his first major final.The UK-based Pilley played fast, controlled and aggressive squash to establish his lead against the world number four, who was exhausted following a punishing tournament schedule in which he has collected five titles already this year.Pilley, 25, from Yamba in New South Wales, began solidly and fought back from 7-4 down to win the opening game 11-9 before a capacity crowd at the East Wintergarden venue.
Willstrop resumed with a more focused approach but he still had to resist some ferocious competition from Pilley before clinching the game with a stunning kill shot after Pilley had played an amazing shot with the racket behind his back.Pilley grew in confidence and, when he took the third game - after leading throughout - a major upset was on the cards. But the 24-year-old British National champion dug deep into his physical reserves and at 6-6 in the fourth the match swung Willstrop's way.Pilley was in uncharted territory and visibly wilted as Willstrop reeled off the next five points.Willstrop maintained the momentum throughout the fifth game and clinched his victory after 78 minutes of brutal combat.Willstrop paid tribute to his opponent.
“Cameron may be ranked 20 in the world but he clearly has the game to be up there with the best,’ he said. “He has shown that this week in every game he has played.

Squash Australia Awards go to New South Welshman 
Junior Athlete of the Year 2007 was taken out by Coffs Harbour's Tamika Saxby, whilst David Palmer, second year in a row took out the Senior Athlete of the Year award. CEO/Director Carin Clonda was a finalist in the Administrator of the Year category and Bob Dubois, Director was a finalist in the Volunteer of the Year Category.
Matrix Registration for Tournaments and Inhouse Competitions
NSW Squash affiliated centres and clubs can now register their Senior and Junior Tournaments and In-house / Internal Competitions for results inclusion on the Matrix.click here for more information

27.12.07
To All NSW Juniors – 2008 Travelling Squads
NSW Squash will again be conducting travelling squads to the the following events: 1)ACT Junior Open Canberra March 1 – 2, 2) National Junior Series - Ballarat Series 1 22 - 25 March Series 2 27 - 30 March, over Easter, 3)Malaysia - 2 events the Milo Allstars and Penang Junior Open 22 May - 5 June  We are already making travel arrangements for these squad and need to know as soon as possible if you wish to be included in these squads.
The other squads we just need an expression of interest for now are: 1)Coffs Harbour Junior – August, 2)Australian Junior Champions September – Perth, 3)Bega Junior Open - October
For all Travelling Squads costs will be dependent on numbers attending.
The NSW Squash Academy (3 - 4 in 2008) dates are as follows: (will be confirmed in mailout letters to you in January); 1)Feb 2 - 3 Coffs Harbour (TBC), 2)June 7 - 8 Sydney, 3)Sept 13 - 14 Sydney. If you require further information, please do not hesitate to contact NSW Squash. Click here for form

World Squash Federation Honours Squash Legend Heather McKay
Squash legend, New South Wales Heather McKay’s remarkable career was recognised at the World Squash Awards in London on Sunday night when she became only the third person to be given a Lifetime Achievement Award.McKay won 16 consecutive British Open titles between 1962 and 1977 when that event was effectively the world championship.Considered by many to be the greatest female player in the history of the game, and possibly also Australia's greatest-ever sportswoman, McKay dominated women’s squash in the 1960s and 1970s.She lost only two matches in her entire career (in 1960 and 1962), and was unbeaten in competitive squash matches from 1962 through to 1981, when she retired from active open squash.“I know the award has been awarded only twice before, to two of the legends of squash, Jahangir Khan and Jonah Barrington, so I am honoured to be the first female to receive this award,” she said.“Squash has been a major part of my life, having first started playing in 1959, winning my first major championship – the Australian – in 1960, and eventually retiring from open squash in 1981.“I’d no idea that when I had my first hit of squash I would be lucky enough to travel the world and make friends world wide, some of whom I still keep in touch with.”McKay, 66, was inducted into the Squash Australia Hall of Fame in 2005 and is also a member of the World Squash Federation Hall of Fame. Heather was awarded the Australian Sports Medal in 2000.

23.12.07
2009 World Masters Games
The 2009 World Masters Games will be held in Sydney from 10 - 18 October. Click here for Squash Information Sheet.

8.12.07
Healthy Active Australia Community and Schools Grant to NSW Squash
NSW Squash will be one of many community organisations that will receive a grant in 2008 from the Federal Government's Department of Health and Aging, Healthy Active Australia Community and Schools Program. NSW Squash is extremely fortunate in being a recipient of this grant as this is the first time that this type of funding has been offered.

6.12.07
NSW Squash Ambassador Ricketts Retires from the Professional Circuit
Former world squash number three Anthony Ricketts has announced his retirement from the men's professional tour after being unable to return to full fitness following surgery to repair cartilage damage to his right knee. In a professional career spanning more than 10 years, the 28 year-old from northern Sydney won nine professional titles in his career, including the prestigious British Open, the Tournament of Champions the PSA Super Series and the Australian Open (twice).He had been an Australian Institute of Sport scholarship holder since 1995, won silver medals at consecutive Commonwealth Games and helped Australia to win the Men’s World Team Championships in 2003.Renowned for his aggressive and uncompromising style of play, Ricketts enjoyed an impressive run of form at the beginning of the year which saw him win the Virginia Pro Championships in the US and finish runner-up at the Windy City Open in Chicago and the Tournament of Champions in New York. However, he spent most of 2007 recovering from a fifth operation to his right knee and following an extensive rehabilitation program, he eventually conceded the injury had worsened to the point were he could no longer continue to compete professionally. “I have had a wonderful time playing on the world tour since competing in the 1996 World Junior Championships in Cairo and my announcement comes with great disappointment and immense sadness,” Ricketts said.“I certainly felt I had many good years ahead of me and was confident I would be able to continue to challenge for the sport's major titles.“The medical teams who have supported me at the Australian Institute of Sport have helped me enormously throughout my career with my knee injury, but at this point, after so much damage to the joint, they could not get me back on court and recommended retirement. “The continued pain in my knee meant there was no other decision to be made, professional squash was no longer an option. ”Squash Australia chief exectuve officer, Gary O’Donnell said Rickets’ retirement was a great loss to Australia’s national team as he had been a strong and consistent performer at representative level.“We are grateful for his fantastic contribution and wish him well for the future,” O’Donnell said. Director of the Australian Institute of Sport Peter Fricker said Ricketts had been a wonderful ambassador for the AIS. “The Australian Institute of Sport has been a proud contributor to the career of Anthony Ricketts for the past decade, Fricker said. “Sadly injury has cut his career short but we thank him for being a wonderful ambassador for the AIS and squash and wish him well in retirement.”Former Australian great Geoff Hunt, who was instrumental in Ricketts’ development into one of the sport’s leading players, said.“I have seen Anthony develop over a 12 year period from a young promising junior to one of the world's best professional players. He always had a fantastic work ethic putting everything into his training sessions to become perhaps the fittest player I have seen.”

Career Highlights:  British Open champion 2005, Australian Open champion 2000, 2006,  Tournament of Champions winner 2005,  PSA Super Series champion 2006,  Malaysian Open champion 2001, Men’s World Team Championships gold medallist 2003, Commonwealth Games silver medallist 2002, 2006 (men’s doubles). Carin Clonda, CEO of NSW Squash says "Anthony will continue in his role as NSW Squash Ambassador and we look forward to working with him on future projects and programs".

Support Our Sponsors
NSW Squash encourages the squash community to support our corporate partners, without their support we cannot grow. Coming soon, our Sponsors/Preferred Business Partners Page and Links.

A Number of Sponsorships Opportunities are available with NSW Squash
For more information please contact Carin Clonda CEO NSW Squash at 9484 8271