Junior CASA Fundraiser…
Posted by Pat Foster on 26-Apr-2008Categories: Juniors, News Comments: [add a comment]
Come down to the squash club on May 31st between 8am and 2pm and have your car washed by our enthusiastic team of future squash superstars…
Money is being raised to support are effort to host this years Junior Caribbean Championships which will see over 100 competitors coming to Bermuda in search of becoming Caribbean Champion.
Tickets are being pre sold so even if you can’t come down on the day you can still support this worthy cause…
World Distributors Bermuda Tire Charity Tournament 08
Posted by Pat Foster on 26-Apr-2008Categories: News Comments: [add a comment]
The 2008 World Distributors Bermuda Tire Charity Squash Tournament will be held over May 16-18th weekend. As part of the event we will be running a raffle to raise money for the Bermuda Diabetes Association. Please download an entry form, buy a raffle ticket and take part in a fantastic weekends squash fun.
World Distributors Bermuda Tire Charity Tournament 2008
Squash Shortlisted For 2016 Olympic Games
Posted by Pat Foster on 25-Apr-2008Categories: News, Press Comments: [add a comment]
World Squash Federation Release
By Howard Harding
Following extensive global campaigning by the World Squash Federation since the sport narrowly missed out …
being added to the London 2012 programme, the WSF has received news from the IOC that Squash has been included on the shortlist of sports under consideration for the 2016 Olympic Games.
In a letter to Jahangir Khan, IOC Sports Director Christophe Dubi congratulated and thanked the WSF President “most sincerely for the tremendous work you accomplished in order to complete the questionnaire for IOC Recognised International Federations”.
Squash has been selected along with Baseball, Golf, Karate, Roller Sports, Rugby and Softball.
Played by around 15 million enthusiasts on all five continents, Squash has been vigorously campaigning to join the Olympic Games programme for many years.
In 2005, Squash was voted into the London 2012 Olympic Games ahead of Karate, Roller Sports, Rugby and Golf – but then failed to achieve the two-thirds majority required to become ratified as an Olympic sport.
“I am confident that the reason why Squash was chosen ahead of other sports in 2005 is down to its image as an intensely athletic, healthy, universal, inclusive and exciting world sport,” said the WSF President. “This image is the result of decades of positive development.”
Khan was delighted to receive the IOC letter, only days after being the final torchbearer in the Beijing Olympic Torch Relay in Islamabad, the capital of his home country Pakistan.
“This is truly excellent news for our sport,” said one of the sport’s most distinguished players, with six World Open titles and record ten British Open trophies to his name. “We will be working very hard to convince the IOC that Squash deserves a place on the Olympic Programme.”
Following the 2005 IOC meeting in Singapore, the WSF lobbied for a change in the Olympic charter which would reduce from two-thirds to a simple majority the voting policy for ratification as an Olympic sport – thus aligning the threshold with the existing policy for Olympic sports. This decision was duly taken at the IOC session in Guatemala in July 2007.
Squash presents a compelling case for inclusion on the Olympic Programme after experiencing significant global growth since being voted the No1 sport at the 2005 IOC Session in Singapore:
Squash is primarily a ‘participant sport’, as the vast majority of people associated with it actually play, leading to real health/recreational benefits to society
The sport is played by an estimated 15 million people in over 155 countries – with more than a quarter million registered athletes, plus over 600 professional athletes.
Juniors are an area of rapid growth: The 2008 World Men’s Junior Championships in Switzerland boast a record entry. The WSF has not only recently decided to make its World Junior Championships an annual event due to demand, but will also create a new Juniors Committee and a global ranking system. The flourishing European Junior Circuit featured 20 tournaments in 17 different countries in the 2006/07 season, with a record number of entries.
Squash enjoys a solid spread of talent: All continents were represented in the top six positions at the 2007 World Men’s Team Championship and top 11 at the World Women’s Team Championship in 2006.
The WSF now has 138 Member Nation Federations (up from 125 in 2004) and more than 80% of all MNFs organise an Annual National Championship across gender and all age groups
Women account for approximately 30% of all recreational players and 37% of professional athletes. Furthermore the WSF board boasts a 60/40 male/female breakdown.
The sport is played in over 20 multi-sport Games including the World Games, All-Africa Games, Asian Games, Pan American Games, Commonwealth Games (in which it has been named as a ‘core sport’), World University Championships and World Masters Games. This compares to just two events in 1991!
Squash is also a “high value” sport for Organising Committees as facilities required for an Olympic event are both economical and temporary.
TV production technology has developed positively in the past few years – and Squash is now regularly featured on TV in more than 125 countries across all continents
Web streaming has taken off over the past three years: The last two World Championships each reached audiences in over 75 countries while PSALIVE.tv has over 30,000 paid subscribers in only two years of operation
Trinidad & Tobago Open
Posted by Pat Foster on 25-Apr-2008Categories: News, Tournaments Comments: [add a comment]
If anybody needs an excuse to go to Trinidad & Tobago they are running their Open Squash Championships next month. Check out the entry form for more information.
D’Vario & Jan BIAS 2008 Champions
Posted by Pat Foster on 21-Apr-2008Categories: News, Tournaments Comments: [add a comment]
The 2008 BIAS Educational Squash Tournament Champions are D’Vario Thompson and Jan Brewer.
They beat off stiff competition form 15 other teams over 2 days, finally overcoming 2nd placed Laird Simmons and Peter Barrett in a thrilling final.
Full results and photos will be available soon on the BIAS Tournament page.
New Photos…
Posted by Pat Foster on 17-Apr-2008Categories: News Comments: [add a comment]
BIAS Educational Tournament 2008 Draws
Posted by Pat Foster on 16-Apr-2008Categories: Juniors, News, Tournaments Comments: [add a comment]
The draw for this years BIAS Educational Tournament is now available to view. Click here for the draws
The tournament will be played from 12-4pm on Saturday and from 10am-2pm followed by the BIAS Family BBQ on Sunday.
All spectators are welcome to come down and support.
Bank of Bermuda Foundation Junior CASA Championships 2008, BERMUDA
Posted by Pat Foster on 09-Apr-2008Categories: Juniors, News, Press, Tournaments Comments: [add a comment]
The Bermuda Squash Racquets Association (BSRA) is pleased to announce that it will be hosting the 2008 Junior CASA Squash Championships July 11- 19, kindly sponsored by the Bank of Bermuda Foundation.
This major annual junior tournament will include at least 8 teams from Caribbean countries, including Bahamas, Barbados, Cayman, Guyana, Jamaica, OECS, Trinidad and Tobago, and Venezuela.
Director and Secretary of the Bank of Bermuda Foundation, David Lang, explains, “Bank of Bermuda Foundation is pleased to be title sponsor of the 2008 Bermuda Junior CASA Championships. We recognise sport as a vital element in the all-round development of Bermuda’s young people. Bermuda is brimming with talented young athletes and we see this tournament as a great opportunity for the Island’s junior squash players to showcase their skills here at home while developing their confidence and athletic ability as they compete with their peers from throughout the Caribbean.”
Ross Triffitt, Director of Squash, says, “We are delighted to have the Bank of Bermuda Foundation as title sponsors for this prestigious tournament. The Bank of Bermuda Foundation are strong supporters of our junior squash programme, having sponsored the Bermuda Junior Open Squash Championship since its inception 5 years ago. The Bermuda Junior Open has been held at the same time as the major PSA squash tournaments, and has successfully attracted strong young players from abroad to compete against our local juniors and provide them with opportunities to gain valuable international experience on home turf. The Foundation’s generous sponsorship of the 2008 Junior CASA Championships is a great boost to our local squash programme which continues to grow from strength to strength.”
Although Bermuda is one of the smallest countries competing in Caribbean squash, Bermuda’s Juniors performed exceptionally well in last years Junior CASA, held in the British Virgin Islands, when the Girls Team finished 2nd overall, and the Boys Team finished 3rd. Hosting the championships lends a slight advantage to the home country so Bermuda will be looking for an improvement on last year’s results.
But that is not the only benefit of holding the 2008 Junior CASA Championships in Bermuda. As Ross Triffitt explains, “Hosting Junior CASA in Bermuda brings the very best youngsters from all over the Caribbean to the Island, giving our own juniors the incentive to compete for places on the team and to support their team members. All of our juniors, including players on the fringes of getting into our National Team, enjoy a unique opportunity to meet young people from all backgrounds who are keen on the sport. It is this kind of exposure to exciting international competition that helps to raise our standards and keeps our youngsters excited about squash. Many of the visiting players are hosted by local families and this encourages everyone involved to form lasting bonds of friendship throughout the Caribbean.”
Each country will be sending up to 14 players – comprising a Boys Team and a Girls Team, each numbering 7, including two Under 19’s, one Under 17, one Under 15, one Under 13, and two reserves. The Championships include both individual and team events, and as hosts, Bermuda can enter additional players in individual competition. However, to encourage maximum international participation, Bermuda is extending this opportunity to all countries.
The BSRA is proud of its highly successful junior squash programme which has experienced a 10% growth in the last 12 months, with a total of more than 6,000 schoolchildren’s visits to the club and approximately 200 children playing on a regular weekly basis.
Pictured: David Lang of the Bank of Bermuda Foundation with some of the BSRA Juniors.
Quiz Night Big Success
Posted by Pat Foster on 08-Apr-2008Categories: News, Social Comments: [add a comment]
The BSRA Quiz night held last Saturday and hosted by ‘quiz master Elliott’ was another great success. For photos from Saturday and from the quiz in January please check out the gallery section.
Upcoming tournaments…
Posted by Pat Foster on 01-Apr-2008Categories: News Comments: [add a comment]
Bermuda Squash Racquets Association’s 2008 tournament calender is as packed as ever with 12 tournaments and a bunch of summer camps coming up over the next 8 months.
Dates for your diary are:
BIAS Educational Tournament – April 19/20th
World Distributors Bermuda Tire Charity Tournament – May 16/17/18th
