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Kent Junior Closed 2023

57 players competed across the two days over the 8 categories.

Congratulations to all the winners and finalists of each category!

Thank you to Mote Squash Club for hosting the event and to Kent Coaches, Tom May and Alisdair Shapcott for running the event

The finalists of each category can be found below and full results can be found at:

https://kenttournaments.leaguemaster.co.uk/cgi-county/icounty.exe/showtournamentlist?tgroupid=143

Boys Under 11

Winner - Matteo Grunow
Runner up - Ben Richards

Boys Under 13

Winner - Aran Shipley
Runner up - Ethan Hu
Plate Winner - Theo Adoki
Plate Runner up - Jack O'Hara

Girls Under 13

Winner - Evie Pulford
Runner up - Ava Burford

Boys Under 15

Winner - Lennon Clarke
Runner up - Taidgh Woodhead
Plate Winner - Keyan Shah
Plate Runner up - Owen Shipley

Girls Under 15

Winner - Jasmine Burroughs
Runner up - Amy Beevers
Plate Winner - Eva Camicia
Plate Runner up - Aara Chima

Boys Under 17

Winner - Luan Woods
Runner up - Jo

by Alan Thatcher

Kent Squash has lost one of its most loyal and distinguished servants following the sad passing of Mary Scott-Miller.

Mary served the Kent SRA as county development officer and junior girls’ organiser and was also renowned as an international-standard referee.

She introduced hundreds of girls to the sport, including the current Commonwealth Games women’s singles champion, Gina Kennedy.

Mary and her husband, Alan, were members of Tunbridge Wells Squash Club.

As a referee, Mary officiated at numerous world-ranking tournaments, including the Commonwealth Games and British Open, and was a solid supporter of the Kent Open Championships when it moved to Tunbridge Wells.

As a former Kent chairman and president, I worked with Mary on numerous projects and her enormous contributions to the game will never be forgotten.

Mary received numerous long-service awards for her dedication to squash but never stopped giving back to the sport she loved.

Mary’s funeral took place in T

Entries are now open for The Kent Junior Closed 2023 being held at The Mote Squash Club on the 7th/8th of October 2023

The Boy's events will take place on Saturday the 7th of October 2023

The Girls events will take place on Sunday the 8th of October 2023

Enter online at: www.kentsra.co.uk/kjc23

Kent Squash is seeking a new Head Squash Coach to lead a team of coaches for the forthcoming 2023/24 season. This role is a part-time paid position requiring a few
organisational hours a month. Ideally suited to an existing club coach and someone with time outside of their main employment.

To view the full job spec please click here

by Katy Bridges (Kent Squash Women's Representative)

On the 30th of June 2023, Kent saw Biddenden Squash Club, 2022 winners of England Squash ‘Club of the Year’, host Kent Ladies’ first-ever inter-club Kent MATS match.

The club hosted 20 ladies from six different clubs, a record number coming together for the county’s first ladies Mixed Ability Team Squash match 💪🏻

Players from Biddenden, Rodmersham, Hythe, Poult Wood, Mote, and Hawkhurst all battled it out on court during their two sessions of nine minutes of continuous play, the idea being to score as many points for their team as possible. The biggest scorers of the match were Aimee Butler from Biddenden on 61 points, closely followed by Lottie Hill from Mote on 60 and Laura Woods from Rodmersham on 56. The winning team scored a whopping 423 points, just five more than their opponents!

The MATS match was organised by Katy Bridges, in Kent Squash’s newly created role of Kent Women’s Representative.  Katy’s desire is to bring w

Kent Squash AGM 2023

Sunday July 2^nd at 7.30pm

The committee invite all Clubs to attend a zoom AGM on Sunday July 2^nd 2023, at 7.30pm. The agenda for the evening is as follows:

1. Apologies
2. AGM minutes 2022 - any noted amends and approval
3. Chairman Report
4. Treasurer Report -vote on League fees and re-election on auditor
5. Director of Sport and Head Coach Report
6. Election of Trustees & Officers
7. League & Cup Competitions
8. Website/Marketing Report
9. A.O.B - England Squash. Update - London and the South East Regional Forum

If anyone would like to stand for the roles of Chair, Treasurer or Secretary, or any items for the agenda please let Gloria Riley know before June 18^th 2023

We look forward to seeing you at the AGM.

Zoom link https://us02web.zoom.us/j/3881485407

Gloria Riley

Secretary

Reports for the meeting are available below:

• Kent Squash AGM 2022 Minutes - Click to view the minutes

• Director of Sport Report (Baz Hodson) - 2022/23 - Click to view the report

• Finance Report (Gerard L'Aimab

Enter online at www.cmstringers.com/kc23

Enter online at www.cmstringers.com/kc23

Men's Championship (24 places) – (Squash Levels: 5000+ ) - PSA Players and County Level Club Players .

Ladies Championship (16 places) – (Squash Levels: 1000+ ) - PSA Players and County Level Club Players .

Mixed B Grade (16 places) – (Squash Levels: 2500-4999) - Players in a County League 1st/2nd Division League Team

Mixed C Grade (16 places) – (Squash Levels: 1200-2499) - Players in a County League 3rd/4th Division League Team

Mixed D Grade (16 places) – (Squash Levels: 400-1199) - Players who play in a lower team, recreationally or in a Club internal League

Racketball Championship (16 places) – Open to all racketball players of all standards.

• This event is open to all players who were born in Kent, reside in Kent or have previously represented Kent in inter county competitions.

• Trophies will be awarded to all grade and plate winners and finalists.

• Entry fee is £25.00 (1 Event) / £45.00 (2 Eve

Bromley Sports Club Challenger 1 - Sunday 5 February 2023

Owain Taylor and Torrie Malik take Kent Open titles

KENT OPEN FINALS

BY ALAN THATCHER

Owain Taylor and Torrie Malik are the 501 Fun Kent Open champions after two high quality finals.

After a week of superb squash featuring players from 16 nations we ended up with two all-British finals in front of a packed gallery at Tunbridge Wells Squash Club.

Home hero Noah Meredith played superbly but was unable to deliver another giant-killing act as Welsh international Taylor controlled the fifth game of a pulsating battle to clinch victory with a scoreline of 10-12, 11-6, 11-8, 10-12, 11-5.

In a tournament sponsored by Meredith’s Tunbridge Wells team-mate Jonny Powell, owner of 501 Fun, and dedicated to former Kent and England player Colin Payne, Meredith had taken out top seed Valentin Rapp (Germany) and No.3 seed Temwa Chileshe (New Zealand).

But despite Meredith showing plenty of the attacking skills that earned him two enormous victories, Taylor’s solid control gradually wore down his oppone

Giant-killer Noah Meredith downs top seed Valentin Rapp to reach Kent Open final

KENT OPEN SEMI-FINALS

By ALAN THATCHER

Royal Tunbridge Wells has a new Squash King after Noah Meredith toppled top seed Valentin Rapp to reach the final of the Colin Payne Kent Open, sponsored by 501 Fun.

Meredith, the 21-year-old from Brighton who plays number for the Tunbridge Wells team, played brilliantly to win 10-12, 11-7, 11-5, 11-5 in 51 minutes of hugely entertaining squash.

The packed gallery roared with delight as No.8 seed Meredith, ranked 215 in the world, continued the attacking form that produced a similarly stunning win the night before against New Zealand’s No.3 seed Temwa Chileshe.

The opening game was even all the way through until Rapp, ranked 117, pushed through from 6-7 down to win on a tie-break.

The players were evenly matched, with some brilliantly skilful exchanges at the front of the court.

Meredith conjured up a sustained spell of magical squash in the second game to win five

Home hero Noah Meredith stuns No.3 seed Temwa Chileshe to reach Kent Open semi-finals

KENT OPEN QUARTER FINALS.

By ALAN THATCHER

Home hero Noah Meredith sprang a huge surprise by ousting No.3 seed Temwa Chileshe to reach the semi-finals of the Colin Payne Kent Open sponsored by 501 Fun.

Meredith, the 21-year-old from Brighton who plays No.1 for tournament host club Tunbridge Wells, produced a sparkling display of skilful, attacking squash to win 11-8, 11-4, 3-11, 12-10.

Cheered on by a packed gallery, Meredith fought back from 8-5 down in the first game to win six points in a row with a mixture of deadly accurate drops and volleys.

He dominated the second game with a sustained spell of positive play but later admitted that he tried to force the pace in the third game only to lose it quickly after a flurry of errors.

New Zealander Chileshe, who has moved to the UK to be coached by three-times world champion Nick Matthew, powered through that third game and seemed to be gaining the asc

KENT OPEN FIRST ROUND:

Alex Smith and Will Salter battle back to knock out seeds on day one of the Colin Payne Kent Open

By ALAN THATCHER

Ireland’s Alex Smith and England’s Will Salter produced storming comeback wins against seeded opponents to win through to the quarter-finals of the Colin Payne Kent Open sponsored by 501 Fun at Tunbridge Wells Squash Club.

The 19-year-old Dubliner Smith trailed by two games to No.6 seed Lewis Doughty before raising his game to power home 9-11, 9-11, 11-4, 12-10, 11-8.

Smith said: “The first two games didn’t go well but in the third, I started hitting my targets and things picked up from there.”

Doughty appeared to have the upper hand in multiple rallies in the final two games but Smith’s phenomenal retrieving, coupled with accurate hitting while under pressure, saw him win through to a last-eight clash with top seed Valentin Rapp of Germany, who eased past Poland’s Dariusz Filipowski in straight games.

Salter faces No.2 seed Owain Taylor after fight

Entries for the Kent Junior Closed 2022, being held at The Park Langley Club on the 1st & 2nd of October 2022 are now open:

www.kentsra.co.uk/kjc22

Full report at Squash Mad at:

https://squashmad.com/breaking-news/curtis-malik-bounces-back-to-rock-rui-soares-to-clinch-tw-canterbury-open-title/ 

Calling all Racketball players!

Entries are open for the London Racketball Open 2022 being held on Saturday the 6th of August 2022 at Bexley LTSRC.

Categories are: Open Singles, B Grade Singles, Women's Singles, Over 40's Singles, Over 50's Singles, Over 60's Singles, Over 70's Singles, Doubles

Enter online at: https://www.sportyhq.com/tournament/view/Event-8-London-Racketball-Open-6th-August-Bexley

For more information, please contact: Mark Fuller - 07855288471 - admin@uk-racketball.com

Entries close on Friday 29th July 2022

Entries are open for the Bromley CC Junior Open 2022 being held on Saturday the 16th of July 2022

Categories are: Boys & Girls Under 11,13,15,17,19 & Mixed U9

Enter online at: https://www.englandsquash.com/competition-search/single/13631

For more information, please contact: Steve Franks - 07855288471 - info@stevefrankssquashacademy.co.uk

The AGM this year will be online via Zoom on Monday 11th July 2022 starting at 8pm.

To join Zoom use meeting ID - 388 148 5407 (no password necessary)

Please can everyone take prior time over next fortnight to read the AGM documents (click on links below)

On the night the AGM agenda will be as follows:

1. Apologies
2. AGM minutes 2021 - any noted amends and approval
3. Chairman Report
4. Treasurer Report - vote on League fees and re-election of auditor
5. Director of Sport Report including Head Coach & Development Officer
6. Election of Trustees & Officers
7. League & Cup Competitions:
vote on updated league rules
8. Covid-19 Update - A phased reopening
9. Website/Marketing Report
10. A.O.B

The committee is very keen to meet more representatives from across the county, so we urge all clubs to send someone to represent you and be a valued voice in taking the sport forward in our county.

If anyone would like to stand for the roles of Chair, Treasurer or Secretary, please let Gloria Ril

By Mark Steeden

Playing at Lexden squash club the over 45's team was a mixture of experience and youth!

The first match against Middlesex went to plan with a win with the standout performance for Tom Woods at one taking a mammoth match 11-9 in the 5th against a very tough opponent. There were good performances from the Knole Park new boys James Hall and Jon Winter who also won their matches. The only downside to this match was Duane having to pull out of the next match due to a back injury. 5-0 Kent

Second match vs Surrey

Surrey always turns up with strong sides and this weekend was no exception. Mark Mink stepped up to replace Duane but after a spirited performance, he eventually went down 11-8 in the 5th against a very tricky opponent. Mark Steeden also had a great match against a player 2000 points above him on SquashLevels but eventually went down 11-9 in the 5th. 5-0 Surrey

Third match vs Essex

With second place to play for, the stakes were high going into this match.

First on was

Colin Payne Kent Open, sponsored by 501 Entertainment, at Tunbridge Wells Squash Club, Royal Tunbridge Wells, Kent, England.

Women’s Final:

(4) Satomi Watanabe (JAP) beat (1) Torrie Malik (ENG) 11-7, 11-7, 8-11, 11-9 (31m)

Men’s Final:

(1) Curtis Malik (ENG) beat (7) James Peach (ENG) 11-7, 11-6, 9-11, 11-4 (41m)

 The Colin Payne Kent Open, sponsored by 501 Entertainment and staged at Tunbridge Wells Squash Club, was a massive success with the added bonus of a special TV feature on BBC South East.

Two entertaining finals were won by Curtis Malik and Japan’s Satomi Watanabe, a student at Roehampton University with a former world ranking of 44.

Malik, from Sussex, beat Yorkshire’s James Peach in the men’s final with younger sister Torrie Malik, top seed in the women’s event at the age of 17, losing to Watanabe despite a battling comeback after surrendering the first two games.

In the last tournament of the year in the UK, Peach beat Kent’s No.2 seed Josh Masters in the men’s

The Bexley Open Graded tournament returns to the calendar and will be run on Saturday the 20th of November 2021.

The tournament will be run with the categories below:

A GRADE - FOR MEN AND WOMEN WHO PLAY AT DIV 1 MEN'S COUNTY LEAGUE STANDARD(SQUASH LEVELS ABOVE 4000

B GRADE - FOR MEN AND WOMEN WHO PLAY DIV 2/3 MEN'S COUNTY LEAGUE STANDARD(SQUASH LEVELS 2500- 3999

C GRADE - MEN WHO PLAY IN LOWER DIV TEAM OR HIGH LADIES TEAM(SQUASH LEVELS 1000-2499

D GRADE - MEN AND WOMEN WHO ARE NOT IN ANY TEAMS BUT PLAY IN CLUBS INTERNAL LEAGUES(SQUASH LEVELS BELOW 1000

The event will be hosted by Bexley Lawn Tennis, Squash & Racketball Club.

To enter, please email tournament organiser, Ben Ford at londonsquashcoach@hotmail.com or complete and send the entry form below:

CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE ENTRY FORM

Ben Ford
Tournament Organiser