Nicol
David Joins WSF Ambassador Visit To Kenya
Shortly
after bringing her illustrious professional squash career to a close,
the sport's ultimate ambassador Nicol David will join fellow
players Camille Serme and Borja Golan for the 2019 WSF
Ambassador Programme visit to Kenya, where the latest
World Squash Federation initiative will be hosted by Kenyan Squash
community in the country's capital Nairobi.
Launched
in 2011, the WSF international promotional initiative takes leading
squash players, together with an international coach and referee, into
younger squash nations to help raise the sport's profile - through
clinics, exhibition matches, refereeing and coaching seminars, and media
presentations.
Joining
Malaysia's former world No.1 David, France's world No.4 Serme and
Spaniard Golan, a former world No.5, will be Belgian national coach
Ronny Vlassaks and international referee Marko Podgorsek,
from Slovenia. The 2019 campaign will take place from 27-30 June.
David
(pictured above with Golan and the Mayor of Zagreb Milan Bandic during
the 2015 visit to Croatia) is a tireless squash campaigner and
ambassador. The 35-year-old record eight-time world champion played
significant roles in all of the sport's Olympic bids since 2005; was the
leading light in several Women's Tour Promotional visits to raise the
profile of the sport in all corners of the globe in the 11 years
preceding the WSF Programme; and participated in four of the
'Ambassadors' initiatives from 2011 to 2015.
"We
are all excited as this is truly the biggest event yet for our sport,"
said national representative Gakuo Ndirangu.
"The timing is perfect:
Squash is now really on the up and with all the squash clubs taking up a
greater initiative in the promotion of the game at all levels and having
great players, coach and referee here in June will stimulate this even
more. Events will be hosted by Parklands Sports Club (pictured below)
and the Nairobi Club, with all others joining in too."
WSF
CEO Andrew Shelley added:
"As always, we are immensely
grateful to Camille and Borja for taking time away from the busy
international tour schedule to lead this vital promotional visit - and
are thrilled that Nicol will be able be with us again too and delight
Kenyans with both her charm and her skills.
"We
look forward meeting and interacting with the Kenyan squash community
and help the national federation boost the sport's profile."
The WSF
Ambassador Programme first visited the Baltic country of Latvia in 2011,
followed by a trip to the African countries of Malawi and Namibia, then
Panama and Venezuela in 2013, Papua New Guinea in 2014, before focussing
on the Balkan region in 2015 with appearances in Serbia, Romania and
Croatia. In 2016, the team visited Dalian and Macau in China. After the
2017 edition was postponed, the WSF team headed to Armenia (where
Camille Serme was pictured above, with youngsters at Grand Sport in
the country's capital Yerevan) and Ukraine in 2018.
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