Major squash tournament to be held at Whanganui Squash Club

Chris van der Salm (left) is Whanganui's big hope at this week's PSA tournament and to his left is the event's promoter Shane Stone. Photo / Supplied

Whanganui will this week host an international squash tournament at the local club on Bassett St.

Starting on Thursday this week and running until a final at 7pm on Saturday, the Professional Squash Association [PSA] tournament is expected to bring a calibre of player not seen in the region for many decades, organisers at the Whanganui Squash Club say.

The PSA tournament is sanctioned by the official body of world squash.

Whanganui will be represented by local player Chris van der Salm, ranked fifth in New Zealand and with a good chance of going deep into the tournament.

Squash has gained a lot of exposure in this country in recent months with the elevation of Kiwi Paul Coll to a number one world ranking.

All the remaining top-ranked New Zealand-based players will attend this event.

The field includes the number one grading list-ranked Evan Williams, from Wellington, and the Chileshe brothers, Lwamba and Temwa, who have recently been named as New Zealand representatives, alongside Coll at the Commonwealth Games in Birmingham, which start on July 27.

The Whanganui event also includes Scottish player Tino Antonio Mackay Palacios, who may have plans to upset the local hopes.

The tournament is being sponsored by Shane Stone, who has got together a list of 24 local businesses to back the event, which has US$6000 (about NZ$9,460) in prize money up for grabs.

As a long-term competitive squash player himself Stone was very excited about the chance to promote the sport in Whanganui.

"Many of the top players playing here have spent the last few months overseas preparing for the National Championships in Tauranga in July.

"We planned our event immediately prior to this as we knew we would get a high standard of players to showcase the sport here in Whanganui."

He said van der Salm had a good chance in the tournament despite also holding down a full-time job as a pilot at Midwest Helicopters.

He has won four open titles in 2022.

"He has fitted into the club like a glove since arriving from Christchurch a year or so ago and has huge local support due to his likeable personality and his willingness to help his clubmates at all levels," Stone said.

The first match of the tournament will be at 2.45pm this Thursday, with van der Salm playing at 8pm that evening against fellow A1 player Glenn Templeton.

Should he progress from that match he will likely play the highest-graded Kiwi player at the event, Evan Williams, who has been unbeaten nationally for around two years, at 2pm on Friday.

Finals action will be on Saturday starting at 6pm with a full house expected as the club also hosts the Central Districts Squash Open, which usually has a field of up to 100 competitors.

Entry is free of charge and the club is hopeful of attracting several past players to the club's newly refurbished facility during the event.

Match times

Thursday June 16

2.45pm Zac Miller (6) v Finn Trimble

3.30pm Willz Donnelly (4) v Michael Agar

4.15pm Mason Smales (7) v Ben Ratcliffe

5pm Lwamba Chileshe (1) v Elijah Thomas

5.45pm Anthony Lepper (5) v Tino Antonio Mackay Palacios (SCO)

6.30pm Temwa Chileshe (2) v Allan Bailey

7.15pm Evan Williams (3) v Joe Smythe

8pm Chris van der Salm v Glenn Templeton (8)

Friday June 17

11AM Quarter 2

12PM Quarter 1

1PM Quarter 4

2PM Quarter 3

7PM Semi 1

8PM Semi 2

Saturday June 18

5pm Central Open Final

5.45pm PSA Plate final

7pm PSA Final