Spectacular squash in store

The biggest and most lucrative squash tournament yet to be staged in Namibia – the BDO Namibian Open – gets underway at the Wanderers Squash Courts today.

Some of Africa’s top players from countries like Egypt, South Africa, Nigeria, Zambia, Zimbabwe and Kenya will be in action, while a Professional Squash Association-sanctioned (PSA) event will also be staged for the first time. 

As such, the prize money has to conform to professional squash specifications, with the result that both the men and women’s total pools amount to US$3 000 (N$57 060 according to the latest exchange rate). 

A total of 16 men and 16 women will compete in the PSA events, while there will also be Men’s A and B Divisions of 32 players each and a Women’s A Division of 16 players.

The total prize money for the BDO Namibian Open amounts to just over N$140 000, with the main sponsor BDO contributing N$120 000 and Wanderers Squash Club the rest. 

Most of the foreign players have already arrived for the event, with several already putting in some practise sessions and according to the chairman of the Wanderers Squash Club, Jan Olivier, spectators will be in for a treat. 

“The standard of squash is going to be absolutely fantastic. I just watched some of the Egyptians and Nigerians training now and I can tell you, they are phenomenal,” he said yesterday. 

Wanderers have also upgraded the courts to abide by international standards and increase the number of spectators, according to Wanderers Sports Club general manager Steven Berry. 

“We already started upgrading the courts last year when we redid the walls and sanded the floors to improve the grip and that alone cost about N$100 000. Now we also had to lower the tins from 19 to 17 inches to adhere to international PSA standards, while we increased the seating capacity on the stands by 150, so now we can accommodate a total of 350 people,” he said. 

It will definitely be the strongest field yet to play in Namibia with the top four seeds in the men’s PSA event all ranked amongst the world’s top 300 players. 

The top seed, Abdelrahman Abdelkhalek of Egypt is ranked 168th in the world, while number two, Kehinde Samuel Temitope from Nigeria is ranked 284th. They are followed by two more Nigerians, the third seed Gabriel Olufunmilayo, who is ranked 298th, and the fourth seed, Adegoke Onaopemipo, who is ranked 244th in the world. 

Several more international players complete the 16-man line-up, which also includes four of Namibia’s top players in Max Endjala, Le-Hugo van Rooyen, Janre Olivier and Arno Diekmann, who will all be in action today.

Namibia’s top player, Diekmann, who is ranked 396th in the world, is the seventh seed for the tournament and opens his account against the 10th seeded South African Diodivine Mkhize at 18h15, while the 11th seeded Van Rooyen takes on the sixth seed, Damian Groenewald from South Africa at 16h45. 

Janre Olivier takes on the fourth-seeded Nigerian Onaopemipo at 18h15, while Endjala has the toughest draw, coming up against the second-seeded Temitope from Nigeria at 18h15. 

The women’s field is even stronger, with the top seed, Menna Walid from Egypt ranked 103 in the world, while her second-seeded compatriot Rofiat Abdulazeez is ranked 205 in the world. The third seeded Busayo Olatunji from Nigeria is ranked 194th in the world, while the fourth seeded Egyptian, Amina El Rihany is ranked 138th in the world. 

There were some late withdrawals in the women’s PSA competition, with the result that six Namibians have been drafted in who will all be in action today. 

Vasti Oelofse takes on the third-seeded Olutunji at 16h00; Charne Fourie takes on fifth-seeded Isaac Blessing from Nigeria at 16h00; Adri Lambert takes on seventh-seeded Mariam Ashraf from Egypt at 16h00; Chantel de Gouveia takes on second-seeded Egyptian Abdulazeez at 16h00; Lida-Marie Calitz takes on sixth-seeded Hayley Ward from South Africa at 17h30; and Jacky Steenkamp takes on eighth-seeded Favour Utukpe from Nigeria at 17h30.  

Dene van Zyl, who was born in Namibia, but now resides in South Africa, takes on the top seed, Walid at 17h30. 

The tournament gets underway at 09h00 this morning when the opening Men’s B Division matches take place.