Squash Tidbits:
... Broken Glass, more Madeira, ...

GLOBAL GALLERY October 2002
Martin Bronstein's astigmatic view of the world of squash.

© 2002 All rights reserved.
photos © 2002, D Tessier

NOW THAT’S WHAT I CALL INFLATION
Well it finally happened: the squash players went to Boston Symphony Hall
and played squash on a glass court. Despite Osama Bin Laden, the PSA, a
busted glass panel and a blackout, the US Open finally happened in the venue
that should become its home for the foreseeable future.

The broken glass panel was replaced by a borrowed Perspex panel which
was to serve for a couple of days until a new panel was flown in from Germany. A price of $1200 was mentioned but two days later, the price had risen to $6,000 and the ASB said ‘No thanks, Perspex is just fine.” It wasn’t the back wall Perspex panel that was the problem, it was the floor. The sweat simply didn’t sink in and lay on the surface, making it pretty hazardous. Strange, they’ve never had the problem before. It certainly made the final less than gripping…never seen Stewart Boswell so annoyed – he’s normally such a placid type.

IS IT ALL TOO BRITISH?
There was another guy in Boston who was also not too placid. Can’t mention any names of course, but he feels that squash is just too British: he points out that the World Squash Federation has its headquarters in Britain, with a chief executive who is also British. The Women’s Squash Players’ Association is in London and the director is British. The Professional Squash Association and its big cheese are also all-British. “This means that in world squash there is just too much of a Brit outlook, it really has to be much more balanced,” he said.

THE US JUNIOR BOOM

Considering that the US squash boom is gathering momentum all the time, maybe its about time we invited some Yankee know-how and marketing skills into the game. Gordon Anderson is inundated with orders for courts, a strange mixture of schools, clubs and private home. More and more kids are finding superb squash facilities at their prep schools and the USSRA has experienced a doubling of junior membership in the past two years. On top of this Aidan Harrison who coaches the US Junior Women’s team tells me that he expects American players to ‘do real destruction’ at the next British Junior Open. He says that 15 year old Lily Lorentzen is great prospect and a possible world junior champion.

And the United States Olympic Committee recognised the American Junior
squash team’s accomplishments at the last world championships in Penang by
voting them team of the year. There’s more! Michelle Quibell won player of the year and Aiden himself was named coach of the year. And then Aidan kindly adds “....must have been those great articles you wrote for Squashtalk. I know they helped.” To which I can only say that the US team’s incredible effort gave me something to write about.

THE BRITISH ARE COMING, BRING OUT THE ZIMMER FRAMES
Meanwhile in Britain, the squash–playing population is ageing. The GB Vets
Squash Association (for players over 45 years of age), found this year that
entry for the annual 45+ tournament has dropped, while the numbers for the 55+, 60+, 65+, 70+ and 75+ have all increased. What is happening is all those Brits who discovered the game in the 70’s during the Jonah Barrington-inspired squash boom, are all reaching their dotage, and new players are not coming into the game in the same numbers as the 1970’s. It is going to be interesting to see what Nick Ryder, the new boss of England Squash is going to do about it.

BAJ STILL WANTS THE SUPER SERIES
While in Boston, I managed to make Satinder Bajwa sit still in his office in the Harvard University squash building, to talk about the Super Series. We know the original sponsor has gone (bought out three times. Indeed, Equitable Life are about to go bankrupt according to a news story at the end of September). Baj tells me that he has another major company considering the Super Series, which he still thinks is a fine and attractive format with eight top players, playing off in two groups and then the winners going into the quarters etc. It allows the paying customer to see four matches in an evening as well as seeing all eight players in action, which is not a bad bang for a buck. He tells me that he is still talking to England Squash about getting involved in the British Open (which as far as I know still has yet to find a sponsor for next year). And on top of all this, Baj has offered his services to Jansher Khan, who is making a comeback. Baj sort of gives the impression he quite likes the sport doesn’t he?

HOLD THE PRESSES…..
For all those Peter Nicol fans ready with the greenbacks in their hand to buy his book, co-authored with Brit journalist Alan Thatcher and promised for last May, you’ll just have to keep on waiting. Nicol has put a hold on the book because he feels the timing is not right. Maybe he want to win the world open again before telling his story. But it looks like you won’t even have it for Christmas.

HAVE SOME MORE MADEIRA, M’DEAR
In my last Gallery, there was a photo of a quite magnificent building in Madeira that housed a single squash court. It brought a rapid response from Portuguese coach Jose Manuel Pimento who not only sent me the following note, but an illustration of the first court built in Portugal in 1910.

He writes:

First Squash Court in Portugal ca. 1910 at 1910 British Country Club (Quinta Magnolia) Madeira.

“ I am sending you maybe the only document from the first squash court in Portugal, where I did [coached] most of Portuguese squash players, good ones. The court where you have been is already the second one, and I must say is probably the worst one we have. What a pity they have demolished this one, in spite of I ask don't do, but you know politician people. I can talk like that because I am the one who initiate this sport in Portugal.
Thank you very much, Best regards, JMPimenta

MIKE OR JAHANGIR?
In a couple of weeks, the great, good and important people of squash from around the world meet in Kuala Lumpur for the AGM of the World Squash Federation. Sadly it will mark the end of Susie Simcock’s reign as president and the assembled delegates will have to decide who will take on the title (they will never fill her shoes). It’s a two-man race between Jahangir Khan and Mike Corby. Now I thought that would be a shoo-in for the great Jahangir based on his huge reputation in squash, but one of my Deep Throats in a far-away land says that it may be a lot closer…. Mike Corby knows how to press the flesh…

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Squash Tidbits: ... Broken Glass, more Madeira, ...

GLOBAL GALLERY October 2002 Martin Bronstein's astigmatic view of the world of squash.

© 2002 All rights reserved. photos © 2002, D Tessier

Squash Tidbits:
... Broken Glass, more Madeira, ...

GLOBAL GALLERY October 2002
Martin Bronstein's astigmatic view of the world of squash.

© 2002 All rights reserved.
photos © 2002, D Tessier