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Kenya Set To Welcome WSF Squash Ambassadors
Kenya is set to welcome the WSF Ambassador Programme this week when
three of the world's leading squash players visit the country's capital
Nairobi for the World Squash Federation promotional initiative hosted by
the Kenyan Squash community.
The sport's ultimate ambassador Nicol David, a former world No.1 and the
record eight-time World Champion from Malaysia, will join fellow players
Camille Serme, the world No.3 from France, and Borja Golan, Spain's
former world No.5, at Parklands Sports Club and the Nairobi Club for the
eighth edition of the annual WSF initiative.
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 the three players will be Belgian national coach Ronny Vlassaks
and international referee Marko Podgorsek, from Slovenia. The 2019
campaign gets underway on Thursday 27 June.
"Kenya epitomises the squash nations we want to bring the WSF
Ambassadors Programme to," said WSF CEO Andrew Shelley. "There is a
great enthusiasm for squash, great potential too. There is a positive
momentum and the players, referee and coach activities that we can bring
via our group will enthuse the squash community there; while the media
work will help stimulate interest in squash too.
"The new leadership of squash in Kenya are working so hard to
invigorate squash, so we look forward to meeting them and interacting.
"It is a particular pleasure for us that recently-retired Nicol can join
Camille and Borja. Her first promotional visit was in 2002 (when it was
a Women's Tour initiative), and has been so supportive over many years
since)."
Nicol David, who burst onto the international squash stage in 1999 as
the 15-year-old winner of the World Junior (U19) title, rounded off her
illustrious career last month at the British Open in England - the
five-time champion playing the 700th professional match of her career as
she bad farewell to the PSA World Tour after 20 years and more than 80
titles.
Serme and Golan also competed in the 2019 'Wimbledon of Squash' -
France's first ever winner of the title reaching the final for the
second time and Golan, the highest-ranked Spaniard of all-time, marking
his 10th appearance in the event.
Serme went on to finish as runner-up in the season-ending PSA World Tour
Finals championship after a revenge win over her British Open victor
Nouran Gohar of Egypt.
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 and Ukraine in 2018.
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