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WISPA PROMOTIONAL
TOUR TO EAST ASIA,
June 2002 |
2004 Tour |
WISPA Tour Ends
On A High In Sarawak
The WISPA promotional tour of Asia ended on a high in the
Malaysian state of Sarawak with Australia's world No1 and four-times world
champion Sarah Fitz-Gerald praising the talents of a number of junior
players who had attended the coaching clinics at The Sarawak Club in
Kuching.
Led by Fitz-Gerald and Malaysia's Asian champion and twice world junior
champion Nicol David, the 12-day WISPA tour began in Thailand, and then
visited Brunei before moving on to raise the profile of women's squash in
Sarawak on the island of Borneo.
"I have been very impressed with the quality of the junior talent here,"
said WISPA President Fitz-Gerald to journalists at the packed press
conference at the Sarawak Club. "It's my first visit here and it's been
great to be on court with so many enthusiastic kids."
Sarawak's top two junior girls June Tiong and Jo-Ann Jee, both 15,
particularly impressed the WISPA stars. "You could see that they had a
good eye for the ball and had been properly coached," said
Fitz-Gerald. "Indeed, one of the girls won the first rally of a short game
we played - and I thought 'lucky' - then she won the next and I realised I
had to pick up the pace a little!"
The press conference provoked widespread
coverage, including TV exposure on both RTM and
NTV-7, and a number of interviews broadcast on RTM Radio, plus
coverage in both the English and Chinese-language newspapers - the
latter being a rare achievement.
Former Pakistan international Abdul Rehman, a contemporary of Pakistani
greats Qamar Zaman and Gogi Alauddin, is the resident state coach. "It's
been a great experience for our youngsters to be on court with players
like Nicol and Sarah. They can see first hand that today's game is more
attacking than it used to be - and that is the way they must play," said
the former Qatar, Hong Kong and Singapore national coach who recently
moved to the Sarawak Club after 18 months at the Bukit Jalil Sports School
in Kuala Lumpur.
Moh'd Azlan Iskandar, currently Malaysian No2 behind top-ten ranked Ong
Beng Hee, began his squash career in Sarawak before moving to the Bukit
Jalil school, then on to London where is now a member of the Neil Harvey
stable which also includes England's world No1 Peter Nicol.
Sarawak's current leading junior is Wong Kim Lee, son of Belfast-born Sue
Teale, who also moves to England this autumn to further his squash career
- at Gloucester's Wycliffe College after a period at the KL sports school.
In the exhibition matches at the Sarawak Club against local opposition,
Fitz-Gerald took on Ronnie Chong, Secretary of the Sarawak Squash Rackets
Association, while Nicol faced top Sarawak junior Romero Yap, a cousin of
Azlan Iskandar. "I am very tired now," said the 14-year-old after his
best-of-three encounter. "But it was a great experience and I learned that
I need to play more attacking squash."
The WISPA party were welcomed on arrival in Kuching at a dinner hosted by
the Sarawak Club. The following evening, they were entertained by the
Sports Council of Sarawak, at a dinner hosted by YB Joseph Entulu, the
Assistant Minister of Social Development and Urbanisation.
Sarawak SRA Chairman Kenneth Goh and Sarawak-based Squash Rackets
Association of Malaysia (SRAM) Treasurer Lucy Read both hailed the WISPA
visit as a huge success: "It's extremely inspiring for our young players
to have the chance to see, meet, and even play, with players of the
calibre of Sarah and Nicol - and I am certain we will see the effects of
this for many years to come," said Goh, who learned his squash at
England's Edgbaston Priory club in Birmingham in the Jonah Barrington era
there.
The exhibition matches and coaching clinics in Kuching prompted interest
from all over Sarawak. One family of six arrived at the Sarawak Club
after a 12-hour journey by road from Miri in the far east of the state,
negotiating numerous potholes and ferries to see the WISPA action!
"We have been delighted with the response we
have received throughout Asia," said Fitz-Gerald as the Association's
fourth annual promotional tour drew to a close. "Our bid to increase the
awareness of women's squash in countries which never usually see our level
of squash has not only been very worthwhile but
extremely enjoyable. Nicol and I have been overwhelmed by the general
level of interest and the way in which we have been inundated by requests
for autographs and photos."
Nicol David, the 18-year-old Asian champion from Penang who only met the
distinguished Australian for the first time 15 months ago, when they
played in the same event in Germany, added: "This project has been very
significant for me in two ways: firstly that I have been able to travel
with Sarah and learn from one of the sport's most successful players of
all time, both on and off court - and secondly, that we have been so
warmly received wherever we have been, with local organisers clearly
working hard to attract great numbers of both players and media for us to
meet."
WISPA Director Andrew Shelley summed up the tour's success: "We believe in
building relationships - and that has been an understatement this
year. Not only have we been able to raise the profile of women's squash in
these countries but their enthusiasm to try to initiate events augurs well
for the future. We have really enjoyed meeting a huge number of fans - not
only those revolving in the ceilings!"
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Sarawak
Brunei
Thailand
All about Sarawak
Nicol poses in a traditional Sarawak Kayan costume - a
picture which began to appear in the Sarawak press as the WISPA party left
Kuching.
Facing the media at the formal press conference at the
Sarawak Club are (L to R): Andrew Shelley, Sarah Fitz-Gerald, Ken Goh,
Nicol David and WISPA Media Director Howard Harding.
The WISPA stars and Andrew Shelley celebrate the Asian
tour success in front of Kuching landmark Fort Margarita.
Lucy Read (left), who combines the two roles as
Treasurer of both SRAM and the Sarawak Club, with Sarah and Nicol and
Sarawak Club Secretary Chan Poh Hui.
Talented youngsters June Tiong and Jo-Ann Jee (right)
soaking up tips from the WISPA stars. |
20 June 2002
Brunei treated to
top-class squash |
Sarawak
Brunei
Thailand |
"Brunei treated to top-class squash" was the headline in the Borneo
Bulletin for the second day that the sport provided a rare alternative to
World Cup football in Brunei where Australia's world No1 and four-times
world champion Sarah Fitz-Gerald and Malaysia's twice world junior
champion Nicol David were promoting women's squash on the second leg of
their tour of Asia.
The visit to the capital city Bandar Seri Begawan was part of a ten-day
tour organised by the Women's International Squash Players' Association
(WISPA), in which David, the 18-year-old Asian champion, and Fitz-Gerald,
the President of WISPA, led coaching clinics with youngsters, met the
national media, and played a variety of exhibition matches.
The party's first port of call was the impressive Jerudong Park Country
Club, whose CEO Denis Bin HJ Roslee is also President of the Brunei Squash
Rackets Association. The luxurious complex boasts three floodlit polo
pitches, a championship golf course, a theme park and a lavish sport club
which amazingly features two permanently-sited all-glass squash courts
side-by-side.
Fitz-Gerald and David performed in front of a distinguished audience of
BSRA guests which included Dato Paduka Hj Abdul Rahman bin Hj Mohiddin,
the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Home Affairs; Dato Paduka Hj
Yaakub bin Abu Bakar, Deputy Minister of Finance; and Glen Raise, the
former US Ambassador in Brunei, now regional manager at Citibank.
Nicol took on Ak Khairal Amir, the Brunei junior champion, whilst Sarah
faced Ak Hasanan, the U-16 No1. With his schooling now behind him, Amir
plans to play squash full-time in South East Asia before considering
becoming a PSA member. Hasanan still has a further year at school ahead of
him, but was overjoyed at his chance to play against the world No1.
"I've never played a world champion before - it was a great experience
from which I learned a lot," enthused the youngster.
Minister Abu Bakar, who had earlier dismissed the light-hearted proposal
put to him that he himself should challenge the visitors, was so impressed
by the pair's later exhibition match that he immediately left the club to
return home to collect his squash kit and racket.
On his return, the 55-year-old acting Finance Minister, a regular 2-3
times a week player, played a best-of-one game with both Fitz-Gerald and
Nicol before slumping into a seat beside the court to relish his
experience.
"They make it look so easy and hardly seem to tire at all," he said
afterwards. "How do they do it?" After getting his breath back, the Brunei
dignitary conceded: "It's not every day you get the chance to play two
world champions - I just hope my next opponent suffers the way I did just
now!"
Brunei, a small country on the island of Borneo surrounded by Malaysian
states Sarawak and Sabah, has less than 50 courts. Alongside sports like
football, tennis and badminton, squash has been included in the country's
'National Youth Scheme', and the Ministry of Welfare, Youth and Sport
funds National coach Tarmidi Saad, a former Malaysian national player who
came to Brunei seven years ago.
"A lot of people here take up squash when they start working," said the
BSRA's Arine Haji Budin. Many Brunei companies have their own courts, like
the Fire Service whose newly-constructed HQ features two courts. "We are
succeeding in changing this mindset and introducing the sport to children
and students. After a successful initiative with secondary schools, next
year we plan to introduce squash as an extra-curricular activity in
primary schools - and we already have five schools interested," enthused
Arine.
Talking on the second day, when the WISPA party had moved to the National
Sports Stadium's Squash Centre - packed with youngsters of all ages -
Arine pointed out: "Five years ago there wouldn't have been a single
student here!"
The centre boasts seven glass-backed courts in a row - plus a spectacular
three-sided glass showcourt surrounded by some 500 fixed seats in an
air-conditioned arena! "Sadly, this facility is severely under-utilised -
the last event we had here was in 1999 when Brunei hosted the South East
Asia (SEA) Games," said Arine.
National Youth Scheme students enjoyed a brief coaching session with
Fitz-Gerald and David, before the pair took on local male opposition, then
entertained the enthusiastic crowd with an exhibition match. Nicol played
Sarah's previous day's opponent Ak Hasanan, while the students then
revelled in the sight of National coach Tarmidi Saad being grilled by
Fitz-Gerald.
"They have been wonderful ambassadors for squash here," said Saad
afterwards of the WISPA stars. "But the best aspect of this visit is that
it has really opened the eyes of the country's sports officials to the
appeal of squash - they have seen so many people here keen to watch the
sport.
"And the kids themselves have been truly inspired - already my youngsters
have been coming into my office this afternoon asking if we will be
training tomorrow!" said the jubilant national coach.
Earlier in the day, Fitz-Gerald and David visited local sponsors QAF
Brunei where they met HRH Prince Abdul Qawi, nephew of the Sultan of
Brunei. A full page in the following day's Borneo Bulletin covered this
visit, together with further coverage of the pair's on-court activities in
the sports pages.
One aspect of the Brunei visit that has been an insight for the WISPA team
is the adulation which greeted Malaysian and Asian star Nicol David
wherever the group visits, whether squash centre or airport lounge. "If
Nicol had earned a Brunei dollar for every photograph she was asked to
pose for here, she'd be a rich girl," observed WISPA Director Andrew
Shelley.
In thanking the Brunei hosts for their lavish hospitality, WISPA President
Sarah Fitz-Gerald highlighted the fantastic facilities that are available
in the country. "You are so lucky to have facilities which you don't even
see in countries like Australia and England. We have had a wonderful time
here, and would love to come back to put your courts to good use with a
first ever WISPA tournament here."
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All about Brunei
Sarah Fitz-Gerald (left) and Nicol David with Dato Paduka
Hj Yaakub bin Abu Bakar, Brunei's Deputy Minister of Finance (second left)
and Denis Bin HJ Roslee, President of the Brunei Squash Rackets
Association
Nicol (left) and Sarah with opponents Ak Hasanan (second
left) and Ak Khairal Amir at the Jerudong Park Country Club
Brunei youngsters show Nicol David how to grip a racket!
Two current WISPA stars with potential stars of the future!
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17
June 2002
Fitz-Gerald & David In Thai Drive For Squash |
Sarawak
Brunei
Thailand |
Australia's world No1 and four-times world champion Sarah
Fitz-Gerald and Malaysia's twice world junior champion Nicol David led a
two-day drive to promote squash in Thailand that was hailed by Dr Sunchai
Anuman Rajadhon, Vice President of the Thailand Squash Rackets
Association, as "one of the biggest things that has ever happened here."
The visit to Bangkok represented the first stage of a ten-day tour of
Asia, hosted by the Women's International Squash Players' Association
(WISPA), in which David, the 18-year-old Asian champion, and Fitz-Gerald,
the President of WISPA, led coaching clinics with youngsters, met the
country's media, played exhibition matches and competed against top Thai
talent.
"Even though we're a small country, we work hard to promote squash - with
an emphasis on youth," continued Dr Rajadhon. "To have the world No1
here, and Nicol David, who has been winning events in Asia since before
she became a teenager, is fantastic. Our future clearly lies with our
juniors, and the way Sarah and Nicol inspired them was truly wonderful."
The pair first visited the Royal Bangkok Sports Club, which boasts more
than 8,000 members across two separate sites, each of which has four
squash courts. An enthusiastic crowd saw Nicol take on the Thailand men's
No2 Poowis Poonsiri and Sarah challenge the country's No1 and three-times
national champion Chatchawin Tangjaitrong.
Poowis, 18, a law student at Bangkok's Thammasat
University and son of club coach and former Thai No1 Peerapon Poonsiri,
went down 9-7 9-5. "Why do you look so tired?" joked one of his club team
mates after his drubbing by Nicol.
In the other best-of-three challenge, Sarah overcame Chatchawin 9-5 9-2. "That was a totally amazing experience, truly an honour," said the
23-year-old who has just graduated in Economics from
Williams College in Williamstown in the USA. "I didn't expect to beat
Sarah, but I was really excited by the opportunity of playing the top lady
in the world."
In a presentation to the WISPA party afterwards, the club's squash
chairman Anmol Pathela said: "It's been an honour to have the world
number one and Asian number one here playing our top men - nothing like
this has ever happened here before."
The Bangkok WISPA visit coincided with celebrations of early fruits of the
TSRA's recently-launched 'Junior Development Programme'. Thirteen juniors
from the scheme participated in the Singapore Junior Open in the first
week of June, with Anantana Prasertratanakun winning the Girls U-13 title,
and Anya Saengtian taking third place in the Girls U-15 event - success
which achieved rare coverage on the front sports page of the 'Thai Rath'
national newspaper, otherwise dominated by the football World Cup!
Many of the youngsters are educated at Bangkok's exclusive Vajiravudh
College, whose Rector Dr Chai-anan Samudvanija is also Chairman of the
TSRA.
Dr Samudvanija hosted the second day's activities at the six-court
Rajpruek Club, one of the country's newest luxury sports clubs, with
around 5,000 members. Sarah and Nicol gave clinics for the enthusiastic
juniors then, with the gallery of the main glass-back court packed with
fans and dignitaries, again competed against top men.
Both WISPA stars had to fight back from behind in their matches, Nicol
from 5-0 down in the second to beat 21-year-old Thai No3 Apirom Na Nakorn
9-3 10-8, and Sarah from 6-8 down in the first to conquer Poowis Poonsiri
10-8 9-3.
"Do you breathe through your skin - you don't look tired?" asked TSRA
committee member Owart Phromratanapongse in the question-and-answer
session after the matches.
Nicol and Sarah were besieged by autograph-hunting juniors after the
session, many of whom now have photographs with them and their star
coaches. "We were overwhelmed by the enthusiasm shown to us by these
youngsters," said Fitz-Gerald. "Experiences like these make it all so
worthwhile."
Four TV channels were represented at a press conference also staged at the
Rajpruek Club, together with reporters and photographers from various
daily newspapers - with the result that the World Cup gave up part of the
opening sports page of the 'Daily News' the following day to a report and
photograph of the WISPA group.
Nicol David told the attendees that "Thai squash has been really
progressing in recent times, and it's clear that a great deal of effort is
being made."
The finale of the day was a sumptuous dinner hosted by the club in honour
of the WISPA visit, which was attended by representatives of more than 20
Thailand squash clubs and dignitaries including Chiraya Issarankul Na
Ayudhya, the second President of the TSRA and a former national champion
and Burapa Attakhor, a former Vice-President of the Association.
In a speech thanking Sarah and Nicol for visiting Thailand - "and beating
our men" - Dr Samudvanija conceded that "the TSRA is quite young compared
with the organisations in countries like Australia and England, and we
have limited facilities, but we will do our best to improve our game,
especially with the juniors.
"We hope we will be able to attract coaches from other countries, not only
to train our players but also our coaches. We are so grateful to Sarah
and Nicol for coming here and inspiring us so much,"
the TSRA Chairman added.
The WISPA tour now moves on to Brunei and Sarawak.
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All about Thailand
Squash in Thailand
Nicol and Sarah welcomed at the Royal Bangkok Sports Club
by the club's squash chairman Anmol Pathela (left) and committee member
Natchai Taworntawat.
Sarah gives some tips to (L to R) National U-17 champion
Prach Niyomkar; Anya Saengtian and Singapore U-13 Open champion Anantana
Prasertratanakun
Sarah and Nicol David (2nd right) prepare for action
against Chatchawin Tangjaitrong (left) and Poowis Poonsiri (far right),
respectively,
at the Royal Bangkok Sports Club.
Sarah in traditional Thai costume, pictured by Bangkok's
famous Wat Arun temple
(larger version)
Squash in Thailand
all about Thailand
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FITZ-GERALD
TO LEAD TOUR 2002
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Australia's world No1 and four-times world champion Sarah Fitz-Gerald
heads for Bangkok early next week to lead the latest Women's International
Squash Players' Association (WISPA) tour to promote women's squash around
the globe.
The fourth tour - and the third that WISPA Chairman Fitz-Gerald has led -
will visit Thailand, Brunei and Sarawak from 12-22 June. The British Open
champion from Melbourne will be joined by another world champion -
Malaysia's 18-year-old record twice world junior champion Nicol David, who
is also the Asian champion.
"Our aims for the WISPA Tour are long-term," said Fitz-Gerald. "This means
playing an active role in raising awareness of international women's
squash rather than just hoping that events will materialise."
WISPA Director Andrew Shelley added: "Important initiatives such as this
could not take place without the great support of the national
associations which host us; Tom Tarantino, a WISPA supporter from
Philadelphia who sponsors the international flights; and the players who
give their time without fee."
The action-packed schedule will include exhibition matches and meetings
with national federations, players, court operators and the media in the
three countries.
Kenyan youngsters enjoy the 2001 tour |
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