BY DI SNEDDON
Professional Squash Association (PSA) players from Japan, New Zealand, Pakistan, Hong Kong and Malaysia will take on the best Australia has to offer in Singleton in May when the Singleton Heights Sports Centres hosts a major tournament.
Interest has been keen and event organiser Zoe Collins puts it down to the announcement that squash will make its first appearance at the Olympic Games in 2028. Tennis featured in seven of the first Olympic Games before being removed to again be included in 1984 with badminton added soon after. Both tennis and badminton have been on the Olympic program since and Zoe is absolutely stoked to finally see squash recognised at the highest level of competition the world has to offer.
More than 100 players have registered to play in the Singleton tournament to be held from May 1 to 5.
Twenty-four of those players are members of the PSA.
Zoe is the stadium coordinator at Singleton Heights Sports Centre and has had a lengthy career playing squash and has represented New South Wales, a highlight finishing in the number two spot when playing in the State’s under 17s division.
After studying in Singleton she went on to study a bachelor of dance at Sydney and secured a job working with a fellow who managed a number of Sydney squash courts that in turn involved running a number of high-level tournaments.
She soon found herself assisting with the tournaments and was invited to the organisers’ table of some of the country’s top squash tournaments including the Australian Open.
“It was definitely the case of being at the right place at the right time,” Zoe told The Hunter River Times.
“I thought to myself that Singleton had the capacity to host a top level tournament and since October last year we have been working on building the event.”
With sponsorship on board from AGL for the competition prize money itself, Zoe has also secured sponsorship from local businesses and reeled in some helping hands to give the Singleton courts a spruce up for the big comp including new markings, new paint and plastering.
Spectators are welcome to watch the games from May 1 to 5.
You never know, you might just witness an upcoming Olympian.
