Tauranga ready for 128 world junior squash players

The largest international sporting event to be held in Tauranga is just days away.

The WSF World Junior Squash Championships begin next Tuesday at four venues around the city.

The home base is the Devoy Squash & Fitness Centre, with Mount and Te Puke Squash Clubs co-hosting and Queen Elizabeth Youth Centre the setting for a fully enclosed glass court.

There are 128 players competing in the individual junior men's and women's championships, to run from July 19-24, then32 international teams in the junior women's team championship, from July 25-29.

International teams due in Tauranga tomorrow are coming from Australia, United States, Canada, Egypt, Malaysia, Papua New Guinea, France, England, Germany, Netherlands, Wales, Scotland, Ireland, Colombia, Mexico, Japan, India, Pakistan, Hong Kong, China/Taipei, Spain, Italy, South Africa and Oceania.

Organising committee member and marketing manager Char Niles says preparation for the huge event has gone to plan so far.

"I think we are progressing really well. We have had a big team behind the scenes with close to 200 volunteers helping us put it together," she said.

"Our goal is for everyone to have the ultimate experience on and off the court.

"We are doing lots of bits and pieces behind the scenes to ensure that the players, the athletes, the fans and spectators all, one, know the event is on, two, get to know the players a little bit and, three, that we can all be great ambassadors for Tauranga City as well as squash."

A tournament of this magnitude is impossible to organise without substantial help from key stakeholders.

"The World Squash Federation, Squash New Zealand, Tauranga City Council and New Zealand Major Events are our key partners," Niles said.

"We have our three gold sponsors - Craig's Investment Partners, University of Waikato and Carrus Corporation - and behind them we have heaps of local businesses who are supporting us with product and services.

"The whole business community is coming together to help us as well, plus our volunteers on site during the event."

Making use of some spare court time at the Devoy Squash & Fitness Centre yesterday were members of the New Zealand women's team.

Anna Hughes, 18, is ranked No 3 and is in the first year of a four-year scholarship at Drexel University in Philadelphia.

She is quietly confident that she and the rest of the New Zealand team in Kaitlyn Watts, 16, Anika Jackson, 15, and Camden Te Kani-McQueen, 18, can make a real impact in the team competition.

"I think the New Zealand team can do really well. We have a solid team and of course, the Egyptians are going to be hard to beat. I have never played on a world circuit before so I don't know what the competition will be like but we won't give up.

"That gives us the edge over another team."

New Zealand No 1-ranked player Watts says playing inside the glass court with a white ball will bring its own unique challenges.

"It is quite hard to get used to. There are a lot of distractions but it will be fun to play inside it."

Details: www.wsfworldjuniors.com