England’s Lucy Beecroft came back from the brink to beat Aira Azman and reach a maiden Silver-level quarter-final.
19-year-old Azman made the quicker start, with the Malaysian settling well as she fired in a number of winners to take the first game 11-8.
Eight-time Commonwealth Games medallist Joelle King has withdrawn from The Barfoot and Thompson Women’s NZ Open, due to injury.
King, who won the NZ Open in 2022, has been struggling with a back injury for the last six weeks and says she needs more time to recover.
Paul Coll has defeated the World number 1 Ali Farag to claim the Hong Kong Open crown.
The world number 4 got the better of Farag in an epic five-game battle to become the first New Zealand male to be victorious in Hong Kong. It was Coll’s second major title of the season, having also defeated the Egyptian to win the U.S. Open.
World No.4 Paul Coll has become the first New Zealand male to reach the Hong Kong Open final after battling past Mohamed ElShorbagy in an entertaining four-game encounter.
The game plan from Coll was evident from the outset, looking to find his length and accuracy down both wings at the Xiqu Centre. The West Coaster did this to great effect, moving smoothly on the new surface and taking the first game 11-4.
Get ready for a game-changing set of initiatives released in February 2024 that will help elevate your club to new heights! Squash New Zealand Poipātū Aotearoa is thrilled to introduce the Club Uplift Challenge, a campaign designed to empower clubs to enhance facilities, support more paid coaching, make management of a club easier, and overall provide better experiences for your members and participants.
The New Zealand Festival of Squash 2023 is pleased to announce Lucino Vanities has acquired the naming rights to the New Zealand Men’s Squash Open.
Ōtautahi Christchurch is set to see the world’s best squash athletes in action, with the city confirmed as the host of the 2025 and 2026 New Zealand Squash Open.
The New Zealand Squash Open is an annual tournament which features New Zealand’s top squash athletes, as well as many of the best squash athletes from around the globe.
An exciting New Zealand team has been confirmed to compete in the Junior Trans-Tasman Test Series in December.
The Father of New Zealand Squash Inducted into Hall of Fame
The man often referred to as ‘the father of New Zealand squash’ has been inducted into the Squash Hall of Fame 74 years after his death.
Squash New Zealand Poipātū Aotearoa is pleased to announce the globally acclaimed SquashLevels rating system is to be implemented in New Zealand.
SquashLevels will replace the current grading system, elevating the competitive landscape within the New Zealand squash community and offering the opportunity for New Zealand players to compare themselves against squash players globally.
Squash New Zealand Poipātū Aotearoa is thrilled squash has been included on the Olympic Games programme for LA 2028.
Squash is one of five new sports confirmed for the LA Games, following voting this evening at an IOC Session in India.
Squash New Zealand Poipātū Aotearoa is thrilled to announce Catherine Logan-McLeod’s new position as Performance Operations Coordinator.
Players and parents throughout New Zealand are being asked to have their say on their squash experiences through our Voice of Participant survey.
Conducted in partnership with Sport New Zealand and carried out by InMoment, the VOP Survey is being undertaken by Squash New Zealand Poipātū Aotearoa for the first time.
Squash New Zealand Poipātū Aotearoa is launching a campaign titled ‘Let’s Build the Future of Squash Together’, as the national body looks to implement a raft of exciting changes to improve player experience.
The campaign has officially launched today, with a microsite available at this link. The initiative is being run as Squash New Zealand Poipātū Aotearoa makes changes to the way the game is run in New Zealand, in efforts to future proof the sport.
New Zealand's Paul Coll has missed out on advancing to the final of Paris Squash 2023 after being undone by Egyptian World Number One Ali Farag in a titanic five-game battle at the Palais de Tokyo.
It was blockbuster squash from both players, with today’s encounter similar to their entertaining clash in the semi-finals of the Canary Wharf Classic earlier this year.
New Zealand’s Paul Coll has defeated Egypt’s Tarek Momen 3-0 in a 60-minute tussle for a place in the semi-finals of Paris Squash 2023.
Coll was measured throughout the hour-long battle with the former World Champion, with plenty of errors coming from Momen’s racket in the first game while Coll remained steady with some solid defensive work.
New Zealand has named an exciting team for this December’s World Squash Federation (WSF) Men’s World Team Championship in Tauranga.
Unleash your potential with this exciting opportunity. Squash New Zealand Poipātū Aotearoa are offering a full-time, permanent, low to mid-level role for management enthusiasts.
Experience the thrill of handing diverse challenges particularly in high performance, enabling our players, coaches, and administrators to focus on performance. Your background in planning, organising and administration will play a vital role in shaping impactful experiences. Join our team and take on a wide range of responsibility in our organisation’s activities.
New Zealand’s Elijah Thomas tasted victory for the first time on the PSA tour yesterday as he claimed his first title at the City of Devonport Tasmanian Open.
Thomas was the No.6 seed coming into the event and after two 3-0 wins to reach the quarter finals, then defeated Japan’s Naoki Hyashi and Hong Kong’s No.3 seed Harley Lam to earn a spot in his first final alongside another first-time finalist Ho Ka Hei.
At the prize giving of the 39th NZ Secondary Schools Squash Teams Championships hosted by North Shore Squash Club, the NZSS team to travel to Sydney later in August was named. The team will be coached by Nic Dann (Marlborough Boys College) and Manu Yam (Takapuna Grammar School) and managed by Aaron Webb (Mahurangi College) and Tyler Duberly (Westlake Girls HS).
Junior Boys
The New Zealand Junior Women’s Team has wrapped its campaign at the World Junior Championships, leaving the pinnacle tournament with two wins and two losses to take 9th place.
Ella Lash (Auckland), Sophie Hodges (Waikato), Anne Leakey (Auckland) and Anabel Romero Gemmell (Central) represented New Zealand in the Women’s Teams event in Melbourne, with competition following the individual event the week before.
The New Zealand Junior Squash Team has wrapped its individual campaign following five days of fierce competition at the 2023 World Junior Championships in Melbourne.
The New Zealand women’s squad was made up of Ella Lash (Auckland), Sophie Hodges (Waikato), Anabel Romero-Gemmell (Central) Anne Leakey (Auckland), Maiden-Lee Coe (Wellington) and Ella Hill (Tauranga).
The latest issue of Squash Player magazine (2032 Issue 2) asks, ‘what are the critical questions for our sport’?
Earlier this year European Squash threw its hat into the ring (and should be congratulated for doing so) with an innovative Think Tank but did they ask the right questions? In a major article Squash Player suggests a fundamental review of our sport with critical questioning and some basic research.
Joelle King has made history at the New Zealand Squash Open, claiming her tenth national title to equal the record set by squash great Dame Susan Devoy in 1992.
World number four King was joined on the winners podium by Paul Coll, who notched up his seventh national title during the final day of competition at the Devoy Squash and Fitness Centre in Tauranga.
Joelle King, Megan Graham, Paul Coll and Lwamba Chileshe have booked their spots in the finals of the New Zealand Squash Championships following another day of heated competition at the Devoy Squash and Fitness Centre in Tauranga.
Nine-time national champion King was a cut above in her quarterfinal, outclassing ninth seed Anne Leakey 11-1, 11-1, 11-4. King again showed why she’s ranked number four in the world as she took on Winona-Jo Joyce in her semi-final, King directing play from the middle of the court for a cruisy 11-2, 11-3, 11-4 win.
The inaugural New Zealand Racketball Invitational got underway today at the Devoy Squash and Fitness Centre in Tauranga.
The invitational is being run in conjunction with the New Zealand Squash Championships, with eight men and eight women showcasing the sport through the event.
Two-time national champion Megan Graham has advanced to the semifinals of the New Zealand Squash Championships and is loving being back at the top level of squash.
It was an action packed first day of competition at the New Zealand Squash Championships with more than 50 matches played at the Devoy Squash and Fitness Centre in Tauranga.
International star Paul Coll (world #5) breezed through his first matches to qualify for tomorrow's quarterfinals.
17-year-old Flynn Venmore from Whangārei is still pinching himself after getting to play a game of squash against his idol, world number five Paul Coll.
Venmore and Coll were drawn to play each other in the men’s round of 32 at the New Zealand Squash Championships. Venmore says he couldn’t quite believe it when he saw Coll’s name beside his.
Squash New Zealand has rebranded and changed its name as it progresses on a bicultural journey of inclusivity.
The sporting organisation has incorporated te reo Maori into its title and will now be known as Squash New Zealand Poipatu Aotearoa.
Poipatu is the Maori translation of squash.
Oli Dunbar, current New Zealand top Junior, is set to play Netherlands star and current World Junior Squash Boys (U19) Champion Rowan Damming in an exciting opening round of the Morrinsville Open on Thursday.
A huge twenty-four teams have been confirmed for this December’s World Squash Federation (WSF) Men’s World Team Championship in Tauranga.
The biennial tournament, which sees four-man squads from national federations battle it out for the title of World Squash Champions, will be played in New Zealand’s Mercury Baypark Arena, and the Devoy Squash & Fitness Centre, Tauranga, from 11-17 December.
Commonwealth Games medal winner and Squash New Zealand High Performance Manager Shelley Kitchen is calling time on her career with Squash New Zealand (SNZ).
Kitchen has been involved in the SNZ High Performance Programme since 2014, first as a coach before taking on the HP Manager position in 2016.
Squash New Zealand is proud to announce it has set up an athletes’ commission in efforts to strengthen athlete input into organisational decision making.
The Squash New Zealand Athletes’ Commission has been established in conjunction with athletes and will advocate for the rights and interests of players.
Gold Coast 2018 Commonwealth Games athlete Evan Williams has been appointed Chair of the new body. He says the commission will strengthen the athlete voice within squash.
Welcome to the new and improved The Boast. Subscribe to The Boast on our homepage to read more
Since the 1980’s Joanne Williams has had a profound impact on the way squash has been played in New Zealand.
Williams began her squash journey in Christchurch. Her father was the great Les Milne, New Zealand’s first ever junior champion and one of the stalwarts of squash in New Zealand.
For almost 50 years Bruce Davidson has been helping to grow and develop the game of squash in New Zealand.
Davidson’s involvement in squash administration began somewhat by accident in the 1970s when he became the club representative for Khandallah Squash and Tennis Club on the Wellington Squash Association.
Squash New Zealand is seeking to appoint three board members due to the expiry of the terms of current board members. Whilst current members may seek re-election there is a minimum of one board seat to fill.
WHAT’S IN THIS ISSUE
Mostafa Asal, world no.1 and squash's player of the future, reveals in an exclusive interview with Squash Player magazine, given on the eve of his ban from the sport, what the pressures are on him and how he hates the game at times. He calls for reform in key problem areas and we analyse the incidents that led to Asal being ejected from the sport. He adorns the cover, in a not untypical pose, while inside there are more pictures of his unique celebration routines. Asal also reveals his love of football and his obsessive passion for the FIFA video game.
Squash New Zealand is delighted to announce that Jonathan Kemp has been appointed National Performance Coach.
Kemp, a former professional squash player and highly respected coach, brings a wealth of experience to the role and is set to play a crucial role in developing the next generation of elite squash players in New Zealand.
About the Opportunity
The purpose of this new function is to lead the implementation of Squash NZ’s recently completed Communication and Engagement Plan and to create engaging informative and relevant editorial and digital media content relating to participation and events of squash throughout New Zealand.
Squash NZ are now seeking EOI's for the following coaching roles for 2023 campaigns;
Senior Men’s Team – WTC Tauranga
Junior Men’s Team – WJC Melbourne, Australia and Trans-Tasman Series, Tauranga
Who would you pick as Player of the Year? There has rarely in squash been a more interesting question or time. That is the question we gave to an international panel of experts from different continents and the answers are published in the latest issue of the Squash Player magazine, The Annual.
We also have the Young Player of the Year and the Most Improved Player Awards. The experts pick their Highlight of the Year, what is yours? We also have the Year in Stats - for example: what was the longest match of the year? The significant squash records that have been broken during the year are published and we also include the popular Photos of the Year.
Community & Youth Development Partner
