WSF Spanks Palmer
Jan 24, 2005, by Ron Beck, SquashTalk correspondent, Independent News Service © 2005 all Rights Reserved;

No Word from PSA On WSF Action    

David Palmer, the tall and talented Australian star has been disciplined again, this time by the World Squash Federation. Palmer, who mainly plays in Professional Squash Assn (PSA) events, will be only minorly-impacted by the WSF action. The WSF, for example, does not control the World Open, a crown that Palmer will be aiming for this calendar year, or the British Open, a crown Palmer will be defending.

Palmer, an exciting and talented player, has had an ongoing battle with his own demons - his tendancy to lose his temper on-court, expecially at referees. In several interviews with SquashTalk in the past, Palmer had admitted that managing his own equanimity was one of the biggest challenges he faced in his run to regain the world #1 position.

Under the expert tutelage of his Antwerp-based coach, Shawn Moxham, Palmer has made excellent progress in self-control over the past few seasons, showing few signs of the occasional outbursts which caused him to lose focus and fans earlier on in his career.

Palmer's latest problem stems from a doubles event, and he may have been mentally unprepared for the types of tension he steels himself for in singles events these days.

A WSF Disciplinary Panel considered evidence arising from incidents at the World Doubles Championships in December 2004 in Chennai, India. The decision of the Panel was that Palmer was guilty of breaching five articles of the Disciplinary Code, specifically:

" verbally abusing the referee and officials
" showing dissent to the referee, including foul and abusive language
" abusing playing equipment
" not complying with the spirit of the Game
" exhibiting unreasonable conduct which brought the Game into disrepute.

Based on the above, David Palmer has been banned by the World Squash Federation (WSF) from all events run under its auspices until 31 January 2006.

Palmer will forfeit the prize money he won at the World Doubles Championships, amounting to US$ 2050, and will be banned from all approved WSF Championships and events conducted under WSF auspices for a period commencing 1st January 2005 and ending on 31st January 2006.

The ban will include the 2005 World Games in July, in Duisburg, Germany; the 2005 World Men's Team Championship in December in Islamabad, Pakistan; and the 2006 World Doubles Championships in Melbourne, Australia.

Palmer did not exercise his right to appeal against the decision.

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