Doubles master looks for three-peat

DEFENCE: Whanganui athlete Rod Bannister is aiming for three National Over 35s doubles squash titles on end when he heads to Palmerston North next week.PHOTO/FILE

Whanganui's Rod Bannister is aiming to win his third consecutive National Over 35s doubles squash title at the Squash Gym Club in Palmerston North next week.

The national doubles next Thursday and Friday, is a warm-up event for the full New Zealand representative teams to contest the World Doubles Championships in Darwin, Australia, later in the year.

So, of course, that means all fields are expected to be at full strength for the domestic squash season's premier doubles event.

The courts will be identical in size and dimensions to the World Doubles Champs to ensure the New Zealand teams are given the absolute best lead in preparation for this event.

Despite being 48, Bannister has to compete in the Over 35s because he does not qualify for the Over 50s masters category.

Bannister holds the elite grade of A1 in New Zealand, although his focus nowadays is not on competing on the domestic circuit, but rather on many other priorities with a growing family and business.

However, he said he was still very active in a squash capacity.

For the doubles nationals he is pairing up with former NZ five-time champion and NZ men's team coach, Palmerston North-based A1 player Kashif Shuja. This is his third pairing in three years due to retirement and relocation offshore of past partners.

Bannister is not complaining though. Shuja still holds a top six national singles ranking and is one half of the winning Central Districts Regional Senior Doubles team that defeated Bannister and his partner Luke Jones earlier this season.

This year he also plans to contest his first Nga Hau E Wha tournament - NZ Maori Nationals, the Central Districts Masters in Whanganui, the Wanganui Club champs and a premier offshore event.

If successful winning a third consecutive over 35s national doubles title it will be Bannister's seventh across singles and doubles squash championships in his career.