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Friday Night Members' Squash Leagues

• Starts on Friday 11th March / Continues every other week
• 5 or 6 players per league (4 or 5 matches per night)
• All matches to be played on that evening
• All matches ‘best of 2’
• Promotion / relegation every week
• Cost €5 per month (payable on 1st session of the month) or €5 per session
• All fixtures will be pre-arranged
• Balls will be provided
• 1st matches at 18.30 then non-stop
• All new players after March 11th start in lowest league

Contact PAUL LAKEfor more details / to register.

Marsa Squash Section Mini-Squash Open Day - 13/03/11

Sunday 13th March from 09.00 - 12.00

• Fun & games / squash & fitness / rules & info
• all related to playing squash
• 2 age groups 7-9 / 10-13
• Minimum of 6 juniors / maximum of 12 juniors per group
• Closing date for applications SUNDAY 6th MARCH (or when full)

Contact PAUL LAKEfor more details / to register.

Newcastle Northern Premier League Squash Team at Marsa - 27/03/11

The ladies premier league squash team from Newcastle Northern will be visiting Malta at the end of March to play a series of test matches.
This will be the first time that a premier league squash team has visited Malta and all the local players are training hard in preparation for the visit.

The test matches, arranged and organised by Paul Lake, are sure to be worth watching and will feature a selection of Marsa Squash Sections’ best players.

All the matches will be held at the Marsa Sports Club and spectators are welcome to attend all sessions.
The usual after squash social event will be held on both evenings and anyone wishing to attend should contact PAUL LAKE Marsa Squash Section.

Ladies vs Newcastle Northern - Sunday 27th Mar
Court 4 10.00 Johanna vs Karen - referee Colette
followed by Colette vs Lesley - referee Karen

Court 5 10.00 Sue vs Michelle - referee Tess
followed by Tess vs Emma - referee Michelle

Marsa Squash Section Men vs Newcastle Northern - Sunday 27th Mar
Court 4 17.00 Christer vs Karen - referee Peter
followed by Peter vs Lesley - referee Christer

Court 5 17.00 Brian vs Michelle - referee Robert followed
by Robert vs Emma - referee Brian

Malta Squash Academy Team vs Newcastle Northern - Monday 28th Mar
Court 5 17.00 Tess vs Karen - referee Carl
followed by Carl vs Emma - referee Tess

Court 4 17.00 Christer vs Lesley - referee Colette
followed by Colette vs Michelle - referee Christer

Northern Ladies picture Left to right: Leslie Vitty (No.3), Michelle Robertson (No.4), Emma Barnet (No1), Karen Heron (No.2)

Mini-Squash at the Marsa Sports Club

Mini-squash has been developed by a large number of professional squash coaches and experts in various fields over the past years and has successfully been introduced to most of the leading squash countries world-wide.

Used in different formats, mini-squash develops the all-round coordination skills of junior players required in most racket sports. Coordination is sometime taken for granted in small children, and frustration at not being able to ‘hit the ball’ or ‘play the game’ often leads to juniors leaving the game at an early age.

Children that do not develop the correct coordination skills and move on too early to racket & ball exercises usually fail to develop certain aspects of the correct coordination required later for the more detailed racket skills.

Mini-squash develops all aspects of coordination’s skills, teaches children to learn & respect rules, provides them with competitive experience, and gives the children the chance to achieve various standard related levels with tests and exams at various stages to ensure a correct and fair progression for all juniors taking part. Mini-squash is the correct stepping stone to future success and is taught using a wide range of fun related games, letting the children develop their skills at the correct pace, and keeping them interested in squash for many years to come. Exercises are played in a team environment helping juniors to understand the values of team work, fair-play and cooperation.

The Marsa Squash Section will be holding mini-squash classes for children aged 7-9 starting in January. Further information can be found at the squash section website: http://marsasportsclub.com/squash/

Marsa Open squash Tournament - 26/09/10

On Saturday 26th October, 14 men and 10 women took part in 3 events in one of the most entertaining squash afternoon organised this year.

Six newcomers entered the tournament and this proves that squash is gaining popularity with new players in Malta.

The A event was won by Robert Sultana, dropping only one set to his opponents. In the final he beat Peter Wirth 3-1 in an entertaining match.
Sultana eliminated Colette Sultana and Jonathan Sammut to reach the final whilst Wirth struggled to beat Christer Gustaffson and Rud van D.Merwe. 

Robert Sultana (left) winner of the 'A' category

Event B was won by Sandro Zammit after he had to fight really hard to beat Matthew Borg in the semi-final. He then met Roberta P. Grima in the final, who he beat comfortably 3-0. 

Sandro Zammit (right) winner of the 'B' category

The C event welcomed five new faces and proved to be a very interesting competition. Robert Magri’s fitness was not enough to beat Elaine Cauchi in the final.
Cauchi well deservingly won the final 3-1. The next squash event will take place in Gozo for the GOZO SQUASH OPEN on Saturday 15th January 2011.
For more info contact PAUL .

Marsa Squash Section Team in Poland - 08/09/10-12/09/10

A group of squash players from the Squash section of the Marsa Sports Club visited Krakow and Tychy, Poland in September. The trip was a good mix of hard squash games and fun, with the players competing against Polish players of similar standards.

The first day started with a visit to the neighbouring town of Tychy, where the Marsa club players came up against a surprisingly strong local team. In spite of this, Elaine Catania managed to register a notable win against the local promising number one junior Wojciech Majchert in a closely-fought match 3-2, which led to her being awarded the prize for ‘best performance’ on the day.

The following day saw another series of close matches, this time against a selection of players from Krakow. Elaine Catania continued her good performance and secured a comfortable 3-0 victory. The other matches seesawed between Krakow & Marsa with 4 matches going the full distance. In the end Krakow came out on top defeating Marsa 6-4. On the third and final day, the Marsa club players participated in the Krakow squash open at the Atlantic Squash and Wellness Club.

Christer Gustafson played some of his finest squash to finish a well deserved 7th overall, while Marsa number 1 Carl Camilleri finished 3rd . Local junior Colette Sultana placed 10th overall.

The 4 day trip also included visits to Auschwitz-Birkeneau and to the Salt mine in Wieliczka. This salt mine is notable for its beautiful sculptures hewn out of rock salt and for its unique underground chapel, where everything (including chandelier crystals) is sculpted from rock salt.

The Maltese group thanks all the Polish players and organizers who made this a memorable event, and also Malta Enterprise, The Malta Chamber of Commerce, The Maltese Tourism Authority and Savina Gozo for supporting this trip.

Such trips help to strengthen and develop local squash by providing local players of all standards with new challenges and experiences in a competitive but also social setting. It is hoped that friendships made with the Polish players can be renewed next spring when it is their turn to visit Malta.

Marsa Squash Section in Poland - 08/09/10

A squash team from the Marsa Sports Club will be visiting Poland from 8 to 12 September to take part in a series of team matches as well as the Krakow Open Squash tournament 2010.
The team from Marsa comprises national team player Carl Camilleri, ex-national team player Sue Aquilina, Maltese junior champion Colette Sultana, and a selection of players from the various Marsa Sports Club squash leagues.
The idea is to allow players of all standards and ages to take part in an overseas tour. All the players have taken part in three months hard preparation for this trip and it is vital for local squash that these players get the chance to take part and compete in such overseas events. This not only maintains the interest but also helps develop squash in Malta further.

A ‘squash and social tour’ is also an important part of these trips – besides the tough squash programme, time is set aside for visiting the area. When not competing, the team from Marsa will be visiting the Wieliczka Salt Mines (which reach a depth of 327 metres and are over 300 km in total length), and will also pay a visit and have time to reflect at the Nazi death camp at Auschwitz-Birkenau. Both places are on the UNESCO World Heritage List.

Squash has only been played in Poland for around 10 years, but the standard keeps improving and the team from Marsa can expect tough matches. The first team match will be on Thursday in the neighbouring town of Tychy, against a local team.

On Friday, the team from Marsa will face much stiffer opposition against a team representing Krakow, with Lukasz Nitka at number 1. The current number 8 in Poland, Nitka was ranked number 2 only two seasons ago and will be expected to test Marsa number 1 Carl Camilleri to his limit. Number 2 for Krakow is no stranger to Malta - Dominika Witkowska was runner-up in this year’s Malta Open and is the current Polish National ladies champion. Witkowska will play Colette Sultana, Malta’s leading junior. This will be a tough test for young Sultana and will clearly show how much determination and will-power the youngster has when facing superior opposition.
On Saturday, the Krakow Squash Open will take place, with all the Maltese players competing in the ‘A’ or the ‘B’ events against players from Krakow, Tychy, Warsaw and other parts of Poland.

Squash is growing at an impressive rate in Poland, and many new business opportunities are evolving through the ‘squash market’. This trip to Krakow will be an ideal opportunity to promote the Maltese Islands. The organisers are grateful for the support given by Malta Enterprise, The Malta Chamber of Commerce, The Maltese Tourism Authority and Savina Gozo.
As part of their preparation, the team representing Marsa will be playing challenge matches at the Marsa Sports Club on Sunday 5rh September from 9.30am to noon. Spectators are welcome to attend.

MSC Squash Section trip to Newcastle - 11/12/09

When a group of squash players who come every year to play at our club in summer all the way from Newcastle, invited us to go to their club to play squash, we didn't think twice about going. A week later, nine members of the Squash Section, had booked a flight to Newcastle. Although we were looking forward to this trip, we were not expecting such a warm welcome from the Geordies. They did everything they could do so that we made the most of our time in Newcastle.



The goal of our trip was to play squash with local players, socialise and have good time - something which I must say we all did! We had the opportunity to play squash every day and a tournament was organised especially for us with the participation of local players. The atmosphere was great and everybody enjoyed their games.

We were also taken sightseeing around Newcastle, where we visited the angel of the North, the millennium bridge and the landmark of Newcastle - the Tyne Bridge.
Last but not least, we couldn't resist shopping downtown and for the few die hards, there was time to go clubbing as well as the opportunity to go and watch a premier league game - a great experience.

We would like to take this opportunity to thank Paul Lake who took care of all the organisation of this truly fantastic experience, and Dave Watson from the Northern squash club, for the great hospitality shown to us in Newcastle. Whilst trusting that this will not be the last time we visited Geordie-land, we are looking forward to welcoming them back here in "sunny Malta" in June.

Local Squash News

International Squash News

El Sherbini Wins Historic World Title In Chennai - 02/08/09

Nour El Sherbini made history today in Chennai, India, when she won the women's title in the World Junior (U19) Squash Championships to become the sport's youngest ever world champion - at the age of just 13!

Seeded only to reach the last sixteen, the Egyptian schoolgirl from Alexandria despatched the sixth seed, the No2 seed Heba El Torky and then the eighth seed to reach the final where she faced fourth seed Nour El Tayeb - her second higher-ranked Egyptian opponent.

Undaunted by the historic opportunity that beckoned, El Sherbini recovered from a game down to beat El Tayeb 5-11, 11-7, 11-6, 11-5 in 31 minutes to claim the title.

"I'm so happy," the new champion said after her unique triumph - in which she was the lowest-seeded player ever to win the world junior crown.

"After losing the first, I remembered how I came back when I was down against Heba, and that gave me the belief I could do it again. I kept telling myself I could do it, and I did!"

Incredibly, El Sherbini, who celebrates her 14th birthday in November, will have the chance to defend her title on five further occasions - with the prospect of recording a further piece of squash history by becoming the first player to win a world junior title more than twice!

Mohamed El Shorbagy made it a notable Egyptian double when he successfully defended his men's title - on the first occasion that a world junior title has been contested annually. The 18-year-old favourite from Alexandria defeated second-seeded Malaysian Ivan Yuen 11-9, 12-10, 11-2 in 36 minutes.

Squashing all over the world on 2016 day - 23/05/09

The world of squash is uniting to support the sport's bid for inclusion in the 2016 Olympic programme with a massive worldwide festival on Saturday May 23rd. Every squash club on the planet is being urged to throw open its doors to promote the sport and help the Olympic bid.
Squash 2016 Bid Team Member and former world champion Peter Nicol said: "Our ultimate aim is for every club in the world to open their doors on this one special day, to show people what a fantastic sport we have, to get media and personalities involved, and encourage new participants to take up the game."

If you have any suggestions, ideas, proposals what you would like to see taking place at Marsa on May 23rd contact Paul on 79003053 or Email.

Please submit your ideas before May 1st.

Tecnifibre British Junior open 2009 - 06/01/09

Egypt clinched six of the eight titles in the British Junior Open for the fifth time since 2001 ...

Egypt clinched six of the eight titles in the British Junior Open Squash Championships for the fifth time since 2001 - with men's U19 champion Mohamed El Shorbagy winning his fourth title in a row in the world's most prestigious junior squash event in the English city of Sheffield.

Top seed El Shorbagy, who began his unbeaten run in the event in January 2006, conquered five opponents on his way to the Men's U19 final where he faced Malaysian Ivan Yuen, a 5/8 seed.
But the UK-based 17-year-old from Alexandria, the reigning world junior champion, needed only 34 minutes to retain his title, beating 18-year-old Yuen 11-8, 11-7, 13-11 to claim the prestigious Drysdale Cup.

The women's U19 title returned to Malaysia for the first time since 1999 (when it was won by the reigning World Open champion Nicol David) after top seed Low Wee Wern beat India's 3/4 seed Dipika Pallikal 11-2, 11-8, 8-11, 11-8. The triumph marks the maiden British Junior Open success for the 18-year-old Asian Junior champion from Penang.

Egyptian favourite Amr Khaled Khalifa scored his first success in the Men's U17 event with an 11-5, 11-3, 14-12 victory in the final over Danish Atlas Khan, the second seed from Pakistan. It was the 16-year-old from Cairo's second Sheffield success after winning the U15 crown in 2007.

The top-seeded Egyptian also prevailed in the women's event where Nour El Tayeb added the U17 title to U15 and U13 triumphs she achieved in previous visits to Yorkshire. In one of three all-Egyptian finals, the 15-year-old from Cairo defeated Nouran El Torky, a 3/4 seed, 12-10, 11-8, 11-6.

Mahesh Mangaonkar, a 3/4 seed, crowned India's best ever performance in the championships by winning the Men's U15 title. India boasted three finalists for the first time - but Mangaonkar was the only winner as the 14-year-old from Mumbai beat the hosts' Oliver Holland 11-5, 7-11, 11-7, 12-10 in 40 minutes. It was a disappointing outcome for Holland, the second seed from Nottingham, who was celebrating England's first finalist for three years.

The only upset of the day came in the Women's U15 event when second seed Nour El Sherbeny battled to an 11-6, 11-6, 10-12, 4-11, 11-4 win over fellow Egyptian Kanzy Emad El-Defrawy, the favourite. The success marked El Sherbeny's third title in a row in Sheffield after winning the U13 trophy in 2007 and 2008.

Egypt cleaned up in the U13 events - 9/16 seed Amr Aboul Souad beating India's 5/8 seed Kush Kumar 11-8, 7-11, 9-11, 11-9, 11-7 in the men's final and favourite Yathreb Adel overcoming compatriot Salma Hani 11-7, 11-3, 8-11, 11-8 in the women's climax. Both players were celebrating their maiden success in the event.

Longest Recorded Squash Match - 17/12/08

Fourth seed Shawn Delierre overcame top-seeded fellow Canadian Shahier Razik to reach the final of the Baltimore Cup at the Baltimore Country Club in Baltimore, USA, in a 150-minute marathon which is the longest-recorded squash match in history since the scoring system went to PAR (point-a-rally).



Shawn Delierre

"It was a real war of attrition, with both players looking to accurately move the ball around the court as opposed to going for the outright winner, and a high percentage of rallies ending in a decision from the referee," said tournament organiser Ben Garner of the battle between the top two Canadians.

Razik, the world No22 from Toronto, took a two-game lead, then had three match balls in the fourth game before Delierre, from Montreal, eventually clinched his historic 9-11, 8-11, 11-7, 13-11, 11-5 victory after two hours and 30 minutes!

The longest recorded match in the sport took place in 1983 - in the era of 'hand-in-hand-out' scoring - when legendary Pakistani Jahangir Khan beat Egyptian Gamal Awad 9-10, 9-5, 9-7, 9-2 in the 166-minute Chichester Festival final in England.

World Squash Federation - Newly Elected President - 20/10/08

Mr N Ramachandran has become the first Indian President of the World Squash Federation after being elected to the position at the Federation's 38th Annual General Meeting in Manchester.

Earlier, in one of the most controversial issues handled at an AGM in recent years, the delegates voted overwhelmingly to adopt a new universal 'Point A Rally' scoring system for Squash, to 11 points per game - as is currently the case in the professional game for both men and women. The sport's new official scoring system will come into effect from 1 April 2009.

The subject had earlier caused considerable debate, with delegates calling for the Federation to show leadership - particularly in view of the sport's Olympic aspirations - to move to the scoring system which was not only enhancing the appeal of elite squash, but had already been universally adopted in a number of countries around the world.

In elections for the three Vice Presidents which followed, Heather Deayton (Hong Kong) and Gerard DeCourcy (New Zealand) retained their positions on the board, while Chris Stahl (Marsa Squash member)took the third position.


from left: Mr. C. Stahl, Ms. H. Deayton, Mr. N. Ramachandran and Mr. G. DeCourcy