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FOR DISTRIBUTION TO ALL CLUB MEMBERS AND TO BE DISPLAYED ON CLUB NOTICE BOARDS PLEASE!! Midlands Squash Union – Newsletter 1 for 2020 AGM -27th January,2020 Our new Committee, as elected at the AGM held on 27th January 2020, saw a few changes. The successful candidates, who were voted in at the AGM, will take full ownership of their portfolios. As a result of the AGM I am pleased to announce the committee for 2020. Office bearers. Chairperson – Rob Gouweloos Vice Chairperson – Kay Meyrick Treasurer – Trevor Fryer League Secretary – Andrew Barnes MSU Secretary – Rennisha Larkin 5 other Committee members: Andrew Pratt Kathy Jacob Gail Howes Cameron Marion Mark Gouweloos May I also take this opportunity to thank Kim Gouweloos and Vikash Sharanund for their hard work on the committee during 2019 and wish them all the best. I am sure that their services will not be lost to Squash and that we will be able to call upon their experience and assistance in the future. News FLASH… Hot off the press!!!!! MASTERS SINGLES IPT – PIETERMARITZBURG – 14 to 18 May 2020 Co-ordinator – Gail Howes Midlands will, for the first time ever, be hosting this event in 2020, and we want to get a huge entry in and show the other provinces that we can host an event like none other! If you are 35 or older, and are interested in playing, please fill in the attached master’s Subs form and return it to Rennisha. The committee is already hard at work putting this event together. Anyone out there who would like to come on board with any sponsorship, however small (we need contents for the goodie bags as well) please contact our Fund-Raising Portfolio Manager – Kathy Jacob. (If not available communicate with Gail or Rennisha please!) Get your registration on Sporty HQ done, everyone participating must be registered and paid up on Sporty HQ. Advertsing: Two for the price of one!!! We are currently preparing the tournament handbook, where advertising space is being sold at R500.00 for a full page or R250.00 for a half page advert. Please contact Rennisha with your Company details and logos, so she can include you in the IPT and Winter league handbook. REPS MEETING The REPS meeting was held on Monday the 10th of February 2020. It is very pleasing to see that we there are a total of 93 teams participating in winter league this year. Unfortunately, one less than last year as Cedara have not been able to submit a side this year. There are 67 teams in the combined league and 26 in the ladies’ league. All the leagues are very evenly subscribed, except for ladies A league, where there are currently 6 teams, with a possibility of a 7th side. VCC may be able to put another team into ladies A league. MASTERS SUBSCRIPTIONS Your subscription fee for 2020 is R420.00. This includes the SA Masters Squash levy of R125.00. Membership is open to anyone 35 years and older. All Masters whose subs are paid by the end of February will receive a free “goodie” (still to be finalized) this year. Payment of your master’s subs also allows you free entry into the “Sunshine Bakery Masters Spring League” should you elect to play. This fee is not applicable to our honorary life members. The proof of payment and duly completed master’s form attached to this newsletter must be emailed to the MSU office info@midlandssquash.co.za Our banking details are as follows: Name: MIDLANDS SQUASH UNION Bank: NEDBANK Branch Code: 134025 (HAYFIELDS) Account Number: 1340539993 Reference: YOUR NAME SQUASH SA REGISTRATION There has been no increase from Squash SA on the registration fee for 2019. All players participating in any league or tournament are required to register with Squash SA at the cost of R 120.00 per annum. How to register and pay has been circulated to all Midlands Players, and most clubs will do a bulk registration, but you can register and pay individually if you choose to. If you are not sure how to register let Rennisha know and she will assist you. ALL TOURNAMENT INFORMATION AND DATES ROADSHOWS AND DEVELOPMENT We will continue with our Development of Squash in the form of Road Shows which will be held during February and March. The development roadshows are proving to be very successful and enjoyed by all ages. MASTERS SOCIAL DOUBLES – Co ordinator – Cameron Marion This event was held on Friday 7th February at Collegians starting at 5.30pm. Entry was free for paid up masters’ members and R100 for non-members, and was a bring and Braai, with Midlands Squash sponsoring the balls, lights, charcoal, salads and bread rolls. LADDER TOURNAMENT-Co ordinator - Mark Gouweloos This will be held over one week from the 17th to the 21st of February and will be co- ordinated by Mark Gouweloos and his capable team. There is sure to be some great squash as we see the first big battle on the court for seeding on the Midlands ladder. All matches to be played at Collegians INTERTOWN- Co-ordinator -Cameron Marion The first Inter Town takes place on Saturday the 14th March in Durban and is open to all Midlands players. Rennisha has sent out the details and a reminder email will follow soon. It will be great to have some of our strong players participating. The second Inter Town is a master’s event and will take place later in the year in preparation for IPT Doubles. This is always a good measure for ours and KZN’s Doubles IPT sides prior to the Tournament. PROFILE PROPERTY MIDLANDS CLOSED CHAMPIONSHIPS – Co ordinator - Mark Gouweloos This will be held from Monday 1st-5th June 2020 at various squash courts in PMB under the watchful leadership of Mark Gouweloos and his willing team of co-ordinators. There will be no league during this week. All plate finals will be played at Collegians on the Thursday night and the finals take place on Friday followed by the prize-giving and cocktail party, culminating in the announcement of our Growthpoint IPT teams. Entry Forms will be sent out via email and can be downloaded from the Midlands website. PROFILE PROPERTY WINTER LEAGUE - League Secretary - Andrew Barnes Profile Property has once again agreed to sponsor Midlands Squash for 2020. I would like to thank Garth Ware from Profile Property for his continued support of the Midlands Squash fraternity. The Reps meeting was held on the 10th February 2020 and a total of 93 teams have entered – 67 in the combined league and 26 in the ladies’ league. Winter League commences on the 14th April and ends on the 16th September. The hosting policy remains the same. Please be courteous and notify your opposition timeously if you are not staying for a meal. It is compulsory that Juniors wear protective eye wear for all matches. This is a Squash SA rule. Results will be entered on SportyHQ and all players are encouraged to sign up to track results, logs and rankings. You can sign up by going onto the SportyHQ website www.sportyhq.com Last year, the Men’s 1st league teams played the final fixtures at Collegians, this was extremely successful having all matches played at one venue and we will be doing the same this year. HANDBOOKS Hand books will no longer be provided for winter league. All fixtures will be mailed to the Clubs in PDF format and will also be available on the MSU website. Advertising is still very welcome and will form part of the PDF document for winter league GROWTH POINT IPT – Co ordinator – Mark Gouweloos This will be held in East London from the 21th to 26th June ,2020. This is a highlight of the Squash Calendar. Our Growthpoint candidates have been hard at training doing a specific conditioning program under the watchful eye of Chandelle Gouweloos. We are very hopeful that we will once again be able to send a ladies’ team to IPT this year. Tristan and Josh will both be returning this year to play in the Men’s A Team. NB: It must be noted that a Province only qualifies to send a team to The Growthpoint IPT if all winter league players are registered on sporty HQ. MASTERS DAVE SHORT IPT – Co ordinator – Andrew Pratt This prestigious tournament will be co ordinated by our very capable Andrew Pratt and his team of willing assistants. The dates for the 33rd Dave Short Masters IPT are from Friday the 4th to 6th September 2020. The date change is as a result of Midlands hosting IPT singles in PMB this year from the 4th to 6th September. The entry fee will probably be around R600.00. All the functions will be held at Collegians, ending with the ever-popular braai on the Sunday. SUNSHSINE BAKERY MASTERS SPRING LEAGUE - Co Ordinator – Kay Meyrick The move from Hilton College to Collegians was very successful and with the sponsorship from Sunshine bakery, bar facilities at the courts, good food from Collegians, we had a brilliant event. The league runs from the 5th October to 23rd November. The format of having singles and doubles has proven very successful and we intend keeping the format the same. To avoid disappointment in not getting a “slot” in this popular tournament, please pay your Masters’ subscriptions early, as members have first choice. MASTERS DOUBLES IPT – Co ordinator – Kay Meyrick 2020 will see us all travelling to Port Elizabeth the 4th to 8th November. We will keep you all updated on tournament news once we receive it. GENERAL All correspondence and emails must please be sent to the address on our letterhead. Any monies to be deposited into our bank account must be accompanied with your name as a reference. We look forward to your participation in our tournaments, failing which it would be great to see you supporting and watching Midlands Squash at these events. Yours in Squash _______________________ Rob Gouweloos Chairperson Midlands Squash Union
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FOR DISTRIBUTION TO ALL CLUB MEMBERS AND TO BE DISPLAYED ON CLUB NOTICE BOARDS PLEASE!! Midlands Squash Union – Newsletter for 2019 Our new Committee, as elected at the AGM held on 21nd January 2019, saw a few changes. We say thank you for all the hard work and farewell to Janine Talbot & Amit Maharaj who have stepped down from the MSU Committee. We welcome Kathy Jacob, Cameron Marion and Andrew Pratt onto the MSU Committee. Rob Gouweloos was elected as the new Chairperson and Kay Meyrick the Vice Chairperson. Andrew Barnes (League Secretary), Trevor Fryer (Treasurer), Gail Howes, Kim Gouweloos and Mark Gouweloos were all re-elected. As always at the beginning of a season there is a lot of work to plan and get through for the upcoming year. We have a very dedicated team and I look forward to steering them through the year as they handle their various portfolios. We have a very full squash calendar, catering for all squash players, including our Masters and our Juniors… see the attached Calendar and the MASTERS ENTRY FORM. REPS MEERTING The REPS meeting was held on Monday the 11th of February 2019. It is very pleasing to see that we have retained the same number of leagues (68) in the combined league and 2 more than last year in the ladies’ league (24). All the leagues are pretty evenly subscribed, except for 8th league that only has 6 sides. MASTERS SUBSCRIPTIONS Your subscription fee for 2019 is R400.00. This includes the SA Masters Squash levy of R125.00. Membership is open to anyone 35 years and older. All Masters whose subs are paid by the end of April will also receive a Masters’ shirt. Payment of your Masters subs also allows you free entry into the “Midlands Masters Spring League” should you elect to play. This fee is not applicable to our honorary life members. The proof of payment and duly completed Masters form attached to this newsletter must be emailed to the MSU office info@midlandssquash.co.za Our banking details are as follows: Name: MIDLANDS SQUASH UNION Bank: NEDBANK Branch Code: 134025 (HAYFIELDS) Account Number: 1340539993 Reference: YOUR NAME SQUASH SA REGISTRATION There has been no increase from Squash SA on the registration fee for 2019. All players participating in any league or tournament are required to register with Squash SA at the cost of R 120.00 per annum. How to register and pay has been circulated to all Midlands Players, and most clubs will do a bulk registration, but you can register and pay individually if you choose to. If you are not sure how to register let Rennisha know and she will gladly assist you. ROADSHOWS AND DEVELOPMENT We will continue with our Development of Squash in the form of Road Shows which was held during February. The development roadshows are proving to be very successful and enjoyed by all ages. INTERTOWN – Coordinator: Kay Meyrick The first Inter Town takes place on Saturday the 16th March in Durban and is open to all Midlands players. Rennisha has sent out the details and a reminder email will follow soon. It will be great to have some of our strong players participating. The second Inter Town is a master’s event and will take place later in the year in preparation for IPT Doubles. This is always a good measure for ours and KZN’s Doubles IPT sides prior to the Tournament. LADDER TOURNAMENT – Coordinator: Mark Gouweloos This will be held over one week from the 4th to the 8th of March and will be coordinated by Mark Gouweloos and his capable team. There is sure to be some great squash as we see the first big battle on the court for seeding on the Midlands ladder. All matches to be played at Collegians. MASTERS SOCIAL DOUBLES – Coordinator: Kim Gouweloos This will be held on Friday 12TH April at Collegians starting at 5.30pm. The cost is only R80 for paid up members and R100 for non-members. Please diarise it now. Bring your own meat for the braai and Midlands Squash will sponsor the balls, lights, charcoal, salads and bread rolls. Please contact Rennisha on 063-2268611 or at info@midlandssquash.co.za should you be a master’s player and wish to participate. Rennisha will also be on hand that night should you wish to pay your 2019 Masters Squash subscription and entry fees. Please remember to bring the duly completed form, as provided at the end of this newsletter. REALISE ACADEMIES MIDLANDS CLOSED CHAMPIONSHIPS – Coordinator: Mark Gouweloos This will be held from Monday 6-10 May 2019 at various squash courts in PMB under the watchful leadership of Mark Gouweloos and his willing team of coordinators. There will be no league during this week. All plate finals will be played at Collegians on the Thursday night and the finals take place on Friday followed by the prize-giving and cocktail party, culminating in the announcement of our Growthpoint IPT teams. Entry Forms will be sent out via email and can be downloaded from the Midlands website. PROFILE PROPERTY WINTER LEAGUE - League Secretary: Andrew Barnes Profile Property has once again agreed to sponsor Midlands Squash for 2019. I would like to thank Garth Ware from Profile Property for his continued support of the Midlands Squash fraternity. The Reps meeting was held on the 11th February 2019 and a total of 92 teams have entered – 68 in the combined league and 24 in the ladies’ league-- up by 2 from last year!!! Well done all. Winter League commences on the 16th April and ends on the 18th September. The hosting policy remains the same. Please be courteous and notify your opposition timeously if you are not staying for a meal. It is compulsory that Juniors wear protective eye wear for all matches. This is a Squash SA rule. Results will be entered on SportyHQ and all players are encouraged to sign up to track results, logs and rankings. You can sign up by going onto the SportyHQ website www.sportyhq.com Midlands Squash will be arranging a visual display on how to and how not to mark a squash match. Marking Clinics will be held on the 22 February and 13 March 2019 and it is compulsory for a minimum of 2 players per league team attend. Last year, the Men’s 1st league teams played the final fixtures at Collegians, this was extremely successful having all matches played at one venue and we will be doing the same this year. HANDBOOKS Hand books will no longer be provided for winter league. All fixtures will be mailed to the Clubs in a printable PDF format. It will also be available on the MSU website. Advertising is still very welcome and will form part of the PDF document for winter league. MASTERS DAVE SHORT IPT – Coordinator: Andrew Pratt This prestigious tournament will be coordinated by our very capable Andrew Pratt and his team of willing assistants. The dates for the 32nd Dave Short Masters IPT are from Friday the 31st May to Sunday 2nd June. The entry fee will be R575.00. All the functions will be held at Collegians, ending with the ever-popular braai on the Sunday. GROWTH POINT IPT – Coordinator: Mark Gouweloos The Jarvis / Kaplan Cup tournament has been renamed and this will be held in Durban from the 8-12 July. This is a highlight of the Squash Calendar. Our Men’s teams have begun their preparation under the watchful eye of Mark Gouweloos. Tristan and Josh will both be returning this year to play in the Men’s A Team. NB: It must be noted that a Province only qualifies to send a team to The Growthpoint IPT if all winter league players are registered on Sporty HQ. MASTERS SINGLES IPT – Coordinator: Gail Howes This is being held in Pretoria from the 6th to the 10th September. The men’s age groups have been altered as such (35-44, 45-54, 55-64, 65 upward, GOLDEN OLDIES). The ladies’ sections will still be played according to strength. MASTERS DOUBLES IPT – Coordinator: Kay Meyrick 2019 will see us all travelling to East London form the 6th to 9th November. We will keep you all updated on tournament news once we receive it. MASTERS SPRING LEAGUE - Coordinator: Kay Meyrick This will be moving to Collegians this year as our arrangement with Hilton College has come to an end. The league runs from the 7th October to 25th November. The format of having singles and doubles has proven very successful and we intend keeping the format the same. To avoid disappointment in not getting a “slot” in this popular tournament, please pay your Masters’ subscriptions early, as members have first choice. SPORTY HQ There have been a lot of queries from clubs regarding the Sporty HQ subscription of R120.00 that each player has to make each year and where these monies are distributed. Squash SA have confirmed that the money collected from SportyHQ subs are put back into squash and the following events received funding from Squash SA: SA Junior team to the World Championships S A Masters World Doubles Universities to World Championships WSF Affiliation Fees SFA Affiliation fees WSF AGM S A Women’s team There were also amounts contributed to S A Closed & S A Open tournaments GENERAL Please note that our P O Box number is no longer in use due to email being generally preferred. Note our office email address to use is : info@midlandssquash.co.za You can also find us on Facebook : https://www.facebook.com/MidlandsSquashUnion/, or our web site : www:midlandsquash.co.za and we have a WhatsApp group, please contact Rennisha to get you added so you don’t miss out on what is happening in the squash community. Please ensure that when depositing any monies into our account that you put your name in as a reference. We look forward to your participation in our tournaments, failing which, it would be great to see you supporting and watching Midlands Squash at these above-mentioned events. Yours in Squash Rob Gouweloos Chairperson Midlands Squash Union FOR DISTRIBUTION TO ALL CLUB MEMBERS AND TO BE DISPLAYED ON CLUB NOTICE BOARDS PLEASE!!
Our new Committee, as elected at the AGM on 28th January 2013, held their first meeting on the 19th February. As always at the beginning of a season there is a lot of work to plan and get through for the upcoming year. We have a very dedicated team and I look forward to steering them through the year as they carry out their various portfolios. Time Freight has agreed to sponsor Midlands Squash again for 2013. In these tight economic times this enables us to keep our Winter League league fees much lower than any other province. The goodie bags and prizes were also a wonderful addition last year. A big thank you to Etienne Van Ravesteyn and his Time Freight team for their continued support. It is greatly appreciated. Richard Knowles has also agreed to sponsor our Midlands Closed championships once again. Thank you Richard. I would also like to thank Warwick Weedon for convening the Gill Weedon Spring League last year, Collegians Club for the 2013 Summer League and one day doubles tournament on the 09th March, Lynwood Club and Golf Club for the doubles tournament and all those clubs who organize internal summer leagues. Add the Inter - Provincials and I think we must have the most squash in a year than anywhere else in the country. MASTERS SUBSCRIPTIONS Your subscription for 2013 is R250-00 and is now due. This includes the SA Masters Squash levy of R60. This fee is not applicable to our honorary life members. Membership is open to anyone 35 years and older. All masters who pay their 2013 subscription by the 30th April 2013 will be entitled to free entry into the Hilton Masters Spring League should they elect to play. Please see the subscription form at the end of this letter for payment details. REPS MEETING The Reps meeting was held on Monday 25th February and 104 teams have been confirmed for 2013. The committee will decide on whether to allow Mooi River and Protea to enter a side each in the bottom leagues as they have not fulfilled the marking clinic requirements and therefore had a shortfall of 1 and 2 teams respectively. Our score cards will have a new look and will have an additional line to accommodate the 5 players in the Ladies A section. The area previously used for points will make way to allow more space for writing in players full names. This is not only a courtesy but also a requirement by Midlands Squash Union. Emailing in the scorecards to Rennisha has worked well and there is an official post box outside the Midlands office. The hosting policy remains the same. Please notify your opposition of your choice. LADDER TOURNAMENT There are 16 men and woman players participating in our ladder tournament which started on Monday 25th February, and continues every Monday night, cumulating with the final being played on Monday the 18th March at Collegians courts. Everyone is invited to come and support our players, most of whom will play in our Jarvis and Kaplan teams. TOURNAMENTS MASTERS SOCIAL DOUBLES EVENING This very enjoyable event will be held on Friday the 15th March 2013 starting at 5.30pm at Collegians. The cost is only R40 for paid up members and R65 for non-members. Please diarise it now. Bring your own meat for the braai and Midlands Squash will sponsor the balls, lights, charcoal, salads and bread rolls. Please contact Rennisha on 033-3422204 or at info@midlandssquash.co.za should you be a Masters player and wish to participate. Rennisha will also be on hand that night should you wish to pay your 2013 Masters Squash subscription and entry fees, but please remember to bring the duly completed form, as provided at the end of this newsletter. DAVE SHORT MASTERS INTERPROVINCIAL TOURNAMENT The DSIPT committee had their first meeting for the 2013 tournament on the 20th February. The tournament will be held on the weekend of the 14th to 16th June 2013. Regretfully we have had to re-schedule the tournament again, from our traditional date, being the first weekend in June, for two reasons. Firstly the Comrades Marathon is being run on Sunday the 02nd June and this creates a huge problem with accommodation in Pietermaritzburg. Secondly there are now two rugby tests matches (Scotland vs Samoa at 3pm and SA vs Italy at 5pm) being played in Durban on Saturday afternoon, the 08th June. This left us with no alternative but to look at the following weekend. We are aware that Sunday the 16th June is a public holiday, which means Monday is also automatically a public holiday, but our thinking is that with the KZN and Gauteng schools breaking up on Friday the 21st June for the July holidays, that people will be less likely to go away over this weekend and that hopefully players will be happier to stay a little longer at the luncheon on Sunday afternoon, knowing that Monday is a public holiday, which they can spend with their families and have a day to recover!!!!!! Entries will be restricted to 250 players. The entry fee has been increased for the first time in three years, by R10-00 to only R400-00 for the entire weekend, which includes three squash matches, a squash shirt, three excellent functions and lots of fun. The rugby test between SA and Italy at 5pm on Saturday the 15th June, will be incorporated into the tournament as part of the entertainment, as has happened with other rugby test matches in previous years. Midlands will again be entering their own teams. Please enter as an individual and you will be placed into a team according to your ability. Entries for Midlands players only close on the 30th April 2013. Should you wish to play please advise Rennisha on 033-3422204 or at info@midlandssquash.co.za TIME FREIGHT WINTER LEAGUE This starts on the 10th April and ends on the 19th September. There will be no squash during the week of the Midlands Closed Championships and during the Masters Singles IPT tournament in East London. Team names and club ladders have to be submitted to the MSU office by the 29th March 2013. Club Reps will be receiving your court usage charts soon as we need to get the fixtures off to the printers to have the hand books ready just after the Easter Weekend. A total of 105 teams have entered this year. MASTERS IPT SOCIAL A social evening and braai for all those playing in the Singles and Doubles IPT’s will be held on Friday, 16th August at Collegians. Bring your own meat for the braai and Midlands Squash will sponsor the balls, lights, charcoal, salads and bread rolls. The entry fee is R40-00 MASTERS SINGLES INTER PROV This is being held in Pretoria from the 6th to the 12th of September, including travelling time. We are asking for a deposit of R1000 to cover the entry fee and this must be paid by 30 April 2013 in order to comply with the organizer’s deadlines. Accommodation has already provisionally been booked at the Garden Court Hotel in Hatfield. This will be a bit more expensive than last year as accommodation in Pretoria is notoriously costly. For more details or should you wish to play please contact the convenor, Gail Howes (0827838034), or advise Rennisha on 033-3422204 or at info@midlandssquash.co.za MASTERS DOUBLES INTER PROV It’s a big year for this tournament as it reaches its 10th Anniversary with growing popularity. This will be in the town where it originated – East London, from the 6th to 10th November. A deposit of R700.00 needs to be paid by the 30 June 2013 to secure your place in this tournament. Accommodation has been provisionally booked at the Garden Court, where we stayed in 2012 for the Masters Singles IPT. REALISE ACADEMIES MIDLANDS CLOSED CHAMPIONSHIPS This will be held from the 12th to the 16th of May after which the Jarvis and Kaplan Cup teams will be announced. We hope to better our 104 players from last year and or aim is to have a full E section with 16 players and not 8 players, as was the case last year. There is no league during this week so why not enter and play - who knows you could win a prize? As with last year there will be a men’s A, B, C, D & E section and a ladies A & B section. The entry fee is still to be finalised but you are guaranteed at least 3 games during that week. Fixtures will be played at various venues and all the playoffs will be played at Collegians on the Wednesday night, as this will increase the camaraderie amongst the players and sections and will be followed that evening by a braai - bring your own meat and Midlands Squash will provide the charcoal, salads and bread rolls. The men and ladies A & B section finals will be played on the Thursday evening followed by the prize giving for all the sections and a cocktail party. The entry forms will be available soon or please contact Rennisha on 033-342204 or at info@midlandssquash.co.za should you wish to enter. I would also like to thank Richard Knowles of Realise Academies for sponsoring this tournament once again. JARVIS KAPLAN CUP This will be held in Port Elizabeth from the 8th July to the 13th. This is one of our biggest expenses in our budget and is the highlight of the Squash Calendar. Please support our players in their fund raising efforts. MASTERS SPRING LEAGUE It was decided at our meeting that we would continue to use the Hilton College courts. This runs from the 14th October to 25th November. Free entry to paid up Masters members and R120 for non masters members. The new format of having singles and doubles has seen an increase in numbers for this tournament. Prizegiving will be held at the Fleur-de-Lys Club again. INTERTOWN We are again in conjunction with KZN Squash and KZN Masters Squash holding the Inter Town Squash tournament at Westville Squash courts on Saturday the 06th April 2013 from 12 midday to 5pm. This tournament has been revitalized and has created a bond between KZN and ourselves. This year is going to be the year of the Durban carrot. You can either play singles or doubles squash and the cost is R20-00 per player which includes court hire, lights, balls and supper afterwards. We are looking for 50 players and should you be interested in playing please advise Rennisha on 033-3422204 or at info@midlandssquash.co.za Get your names in - Andy Bone needs you! MARKING / REFEREEING AND DEVELOPMENT This year we are hoping to get a road show on the go. A date will be set for each club where a team from Midlands will come to your courts to carry out a Marking Clinic and Development. We are hoping to introduce a least 10 new members per club to the sport. This can be of any age, sex or colour, but let’s get people playing squash. Watch this space. Bongani Khumalo has already got a group of children from the SOS village coming to him. A big thank you to the Midlands Squash Fraternity who donated kits, racquets and balls. Bongani was totally overwhelmed by your generosity. GENERAL Thank you to Angelos Christodoulou and ACCPICK for sponsoring our Web site once again and to Rennisha for keeping if updated. For all information, winter league fixtures, newsletters etc. click on www.midlandssquash.co.za. Please take note that there are a lot of deadlines for Interprov entries so act now. When in doubt contact our office between the hours of 8:30am to 12:30pm. All correspondence and emails to please be sent to the above address on our letterhead. Monies must be deposited into our bank account and your name recorded under the reference. The deposit slip and duly completed form attached to this newsletter must be faxed to the MSU office on 0865432954 or scanned and emailed to info@midlandssquash.co.za Please return your duly completed form to Rennisha and pay your subs and other entry fees into our banking account as soon as possible. Our banking details are as follows: Name: MIDLANDS SQUASH UNION Bank: NEDBANK Branch Code: 134025 (HAYFIELDS) Account Number: 1340539993 Reference: YOUR NAME + BRIEF ANNOTATION We look forward to your participation in our tournaments, or failing which it would be great to see you supporting and watching Midlands Squash at these events. Yours in Squash Cathy Jackson Chairperson – Midlands Squash FOR DISTRIBUTION TO ALL CLUB MEMBERS AND DISPLAY ON CLUB NOTICE BOARDS PLEASE!!
2012 has been another busy and successful year for Midlands Squash, and there has been a lot that has happened over the last few months, since my last newsletter earlier this year, to report back to you on. TIME FREIGHT WINTER LEAGUE The Time Freight Winter League ended on the 27th of September. I hope everyone enjoyed the squash and had as much fun as I did. It was good to welcome back a side from Cedara, as well as for the first time a girl’s school team from St Annes and a ladies team from Protea Squash Club. Other than a few problems here and there I think everything went off exceptionally well. My congratulations are extended to all the winning league teams. Remember for next year, that there is no automatic promotion or relegation between 1st and 2nd league, but that in terms of our rules the top two sides in every other league are eligible for promotion should they elect to move up, in which event the bottom two sides of the leagues above face relegation. The Time Freight winter league prize giving diner and dance was held at Collegians Club on Friday the 12th October 2012 and my thanks are extended to Collegians Squash Club for hosting yet another memorable evening. Some 160 people were in attendance. I would also like to take this opportunity to thank Etienne Van Ravesteyn and Time Freight for their valued support and sponsorship, and trust that through the league book, scorecards, newspaper reports, MSU website, emails, hand towels, water bottles, licence disc holders, tog bags given to the Masters IPT players, Dave Short tournament shirts and the prizes they sponsored for all the winning league teams that they have got the exposure and coverage they so richly deserve, and I look forward to our continued association in 2013 to our mutual benefit. Our congratulations are extended to Collegians Squash Club – Club of the Year 2102, Ricolyn Govender - Most Improved Male 2012, Kay Meyrick - Most Improved Female 2012, Rory Whitfeld - Ian Dixon Award for Service to Midlands Squash 2012 and Epworth - Best Overall Performance by a Club 2012. MARKING CLINIC During 2012, it is a requirement of the MSU that two players from every team entered into winter league must attend a marking clinic in order for that club to gain their team entries into the 2013 winter league. In an effort to improve marking and refereeing even further, the committee decided that should two players from each team not only attend a marking clinic but also write and pass the level 2 marking exam, then in such an event that team will not only receive entry into the 2013 winter league season but will pay the same league fees in 2013 as is applicable to the 2012 league. In other words such team or teams will not be subject to the league fee increase for the 2013 season. The MSU marking clinic was held on Monday the 14th May in the gallery at the Collegians Squash complex, and was well attended by some 214 league players, of which 126 players wrote the level 2 marking exam. Regretfully there are still some clubs that have not fulfilled their marking clinic requirements for 2012, and unless this situation is rectified in the next month or two, such clubs will be unable to enter those teams into winter league in 2013. The good news is that Craig Sadler will be holding a final marking clinic towards the end of October/early November, so I suggest those clubs that have not qualified contact him (Cell: 082 491 4053) so that they can rectify their situation and qualify for league next year. MASTERS SINGLES IPT This tournament was held recently in East London from the 07th – 12th September 2012. Some 700 players participated and Midlands sent 4 men’s teams and 2 ladies teams. As always the squash was competitive and a lot of fun was had amongst the Midlands players. Midlands Squash were awarded the most organised province for the third consecutive year, a notable achievement, and my thanks are extended to Gail Howes who put this all together so magnificently as usual. Next years tournament will be held in Pretoria. Prior to departing for the Masters Singles IPT, a social evening and braai for all those Masters players playing in the Singles and Doubles IPT’s, was held on Friday, the 17th August 2012 at Collegians. We had 30 players participated and it was a most enjoyable evening of squash, with great camaraderie amongst fellow touring players. JARVIS/KAPLAN CUP The senior ladies and men’s inter-provincial tournament, known as the Jarvis/Kaplan Cup was held in Pretoria during the month of July. Unfortunately due to regular players within our ladies team being unavailable as a result of either being pregnant, preparing for an impending wedding or studying, it was felt that we would not be able to field a competitive ladies team this year, and so a decision was taken not to send a ladies team. Two weeks before the start of the tournament, Mick Gouweloos injured his shoulder, and had to withdraw from the men’s side. This proved to be a big blow, and his presence at the number three position within the team was hugely missed and despite a valiant effort by the remaining team members, Midlands face relegation to the C section next year. Given the tremendous support Midlands Squash have given these players over the last few years, I hope the team will rally together and fight to restore Midlands back to the B section again next year. The team was Justin Gouweloos ©. Alan McGuigan, Mark Gouweloos, Steve Darch and Andrew Brown. The team manager was Craig Buxton-Forman. It was not all gloom and doom, as Midlands Squash were awarded the trophy for the third consecutive year, for the Most Organised Province, testimony to the great work that is done by Bugsy within Midlands Squash. REALISE ACADEMIES MIDLANDS CLOSED CHAMPIONSHIPS This tournament was held from Sunday the 06th May to Thursday the 10th May 2012. Our goal prior to the tournament was to not only maintain the Men’s A, B & C and Ladies A & B sections from last year, but to try and re-introduce a Men's D section this year for the lower league players, which would be specifically for players from 7th, 8th and 9th league. Well I am pleased to report that we not only achieved this goal but we had enough players to have an eight man E section draw. In total we had 104 players participate. This truly is encouraging as this represents a tournament encompassing all Midlands players and not just the top players. An interesting fact is that with 106 league teams this year and 104 players playing in the champs, means that nearly 25% of all league players participated in this tournament – absolutely fantastic. Andrew Pratt and Tracey Schwegmann are to be commended on a brilliant effort in putting this tournament together, as well as for their comprehensive daily reports. What was also encouraging, was not only the sporting manner in which the games were played, but the huge turnout (80 players) we had at the braai on the Wednesday evening after all the runner up and plate finals had been played at Collegians and the almost full gallery at the finals on Thursday night, followed by the prize giving and a most enjoyable cocktail party thereafter. Our congratulations are extended to Justin Gouweloos and Nadia Ramchandra, the men’s and ladies Midland’s champions for 2012. I would like to thank Richard Knowles of Realise Academies for sponsoring this tournament once again, and look forward to his involvement again next year. SCHOOLS Congratulations to both Michaelhouse and Epworth on winning the boys and girl’s section respectively of the SA Top Schools tournament, held at the beginning of August at Epworth School. This is the 1st time Michaelhouse have won this tournament, yet the 19th time Epworth has won this tournament in 28 years, since its inception – a remarkable achievement I am sure Epworth are very proud of. Of the 6 KZN Schools boys and girls teams selected to play in the U14, U16 and U19 age groups at the Schools Inter - Provincial tournaments, 67% of the players, being 14 boys and 26 girls, were from Midlands Schools. Our congratulations are extended to Daniel Smith and Nadia Ramchandra in the U19 age group, Kenyon Smith and Michael Greig in the U16 age group and Anele Ngubane, Noel Lee and Ana Chemaly in the U14 age group on obtaining SA Schools rankings. Midlands Squash paid out just short of R33000-00 in junior player assistance this year, sponsored not only Imbali, but also the Protea ladies team within our winter league, and sponsored our men’s and ladies team to playing in the Durban 1st league. DAVE SHORT MASTERS INTERPROVINCIAL TOURNAMENT This year marked the 25th anniversary of this tournament. Due to the Comrades Marathon being run on Sunday the 03rd of June, the DSIPT committee decided to stage the tournament a week later and it was played in Pietermaritzburg on the weekend of the 8th – 10th of June 2012, and once again was a resounding success. As the entry fee was kept the same as last year, this resulted in a further increase in entries from 42 teams last year to 48 teams this year, being some 243 players from 14 provinces throughout South Africa. We welcomed back Freestate to the tournament and North West Province for the first time. Midlands had the most teams, with 10 teams, three teams more than the previous year. To mark the 25th anniversary, the founding committee and past committee members who have served on previous DSIPT committees, together with the President of Squash SA were invited to the formal dinner on Saturday night. Time Freight also partially sponsored the shirts, which have been so well received they we seen being worn by players not only at the Masters Singles IPT in East London, but by players playing in the World Masters championships held in Birmingham, London the week before the start of the Olympic games in July. Despite keeping the entry fee the same as last year, I am pleased to report that we were still managed with some careful budgeting to make almost the same profit to what we made in 2011, which is another fantastic achievement. For next year the committee has decided to restrict entries to 250 players or 50 teams. My thanks are extended to the DSIPT committee, comprising Dave Short, Rob Van Heerden, Andrew Pratt, Gail Howes and Rennisha for all their time and hard work in ensuring the success of this tournament once again. INTER TOWN SQUASH We again in conjunction with KZN Squash and KZN Masters Squash held the Inter - Town Squash tournament at Westville Squash courts on Saturday the 24th March 2012. The players participating increased slightly from 35 players last year to 42 players this year. Despite losing to Durban again, what I think is more important is the good relations that have been formed between our two provinces, and the great fun that was had both on and off the squash court and as always the supper afterwards was superb. MASTERS SPRING LEAGUE Due to the popularity of this tournament last year, it came as no surprise to me that we were oversubscribed this year. I thought what with the venue and limitation with courts we would be unable to accommodate anymore players, but to my surprise Cathy has created a stronger A section with 4 single matches and a doubles pairing and a slightly weaker B section with 5 singles matches and a doubles pairing, being a total of 78 players. Were we to play at two separate venues, we feel this will detract from the great time and fun had by everyone being all together. This tournament will be played on Monday evenings at the Hilton College squash courts, from Monday the 15th October until about the 19th November 2012, maybe even a week later? After match socializing will be at the courts where food and drinks will be available, and my thanks to Cathy Jackson for sorting out the teams, Greg Walters for assisting with the bar and Angelos Christodoulou for agreeing to handle the catering aspect once again, something that over the years he has perfected. MASTERS DOUBLES IPT This takes place in Eastern Gauteng from the 07th – 11th November 2012. Accommodation has been booked and paid for at the Birchwood Hotel where most of the functions will be held. We have 36 players participating and trust they will play good doubles squash and have a most enjoyable tournament. Next year marks the 10th anniversary of this tournament, which will be held in East London, where it originally started. My thanks to Trevor Fryer and his sub-committee for sorting out the pairings etc. MICK GOUWELOOS Many of you may not be aware that Mick has been selected for the 26th SA Knights Squash team to tour Scotland and the UK in December 2012 and January next year. Mick has been busy raising funds for this tour over the last few months, and I am certain knowing Mick as well as I do, that he would have thanked all those people personally for their generous contributions, which I know Mick is most grateful and thankful for. Whilst it is a very intensive tour with a lot of squash, I am sure the experience will stand Mick in good stead for his future squash years and that he will have an absolutely wonderful time. Bon Voyage Mick. WORLD SQUASH DAY This is an international event organised by the World Squash Federation, and is intended to show the popularity of squash worldwide, in support of squash’s bid to be included in the 2020 Olympics. This event will be played this Saturday at Collegians from 9am to 4pm. Clubs participating include Hilton Village, Collegians, Lynwood, VCC, Eston and MGC. Teams of 20 players will compete against each other in a match, including any warm up lasting 20 minutes. It should be a fun day. Midlands Squash will sponsor the court hire and lights. GENERAL Last week saw the start of the Gill Weedon Spring league with some 220 players participating every Wednesday night for the next 7 weeks until the 28th November 2012. Well done to Warwick, on this his 24th spring league tournament. I have no doubt it will be well run and a lot of fun will be had by everyone. I hope if you are playing that you will support your team and I look forward to seeing you each week at MGC for the after squash socialising. I would also like to record my thanks to Angelos Christodoulou, Cathy Jackson, Janine Talbot and their respective companies for their support and sponsorship of various aspects of Midlands Squash. I would also like to thank Rory Whitfeld for organising not only the Inter–club doubles tournament, but two other doubles tournaments all of which were played over a period of about 8 weeks each. Doubles certainly has gained in popularity over the years and played under the right conditions, particular where the teams are evenly matched, can prove to be as rewarding and in some cases longer in duration than a singles match. Well done Rory. Finally the end of this year will see the conclusion of my term as Chairman of Midlands Squash. I appreciate the confidence you entrusted in me in electing me your Chairman, and I am pleased to have served Midlands Squash to the best of my ability. However I will be the first to admit that the successes we have achieved would not have been possible without the tremendous support of my committee. They are a remarkable team of administrators, who have worked hard, given freely of their time and always done everything with the best interests of Midlands Squash at heart. I believe your committee has created a strong foundation, set in place good business practices, and together with Rennisha as the MSU secretary, are well poised under new leadership next year to continue to take Midlands Squash from strength to strength. Yours in Squash Mike Short Chairman - Midlands Squash Union 24th February 2012 FOR DISTRIBUTION TO ALL CLUB MEMBERS AND DISPLAY ON CLUB NOTICE BOARDS PLEASE!!
Your committee as elected at the Annual General Meeting in January had their first committee meeting on Wednesday the 15th February and I can assure you that each and everyone of us is committed to working hard, to providing the Midlands Squash fraternity with a wide host of squash events. A lot is planned again for this year and 2012 promises to be another great year for Midlands Squash. There are not many provinces that offer as much squash throughout the year as we do in the Midlands, especially when one also takes into account the summer and spring league tournaments, not to mention the numerous internally run club tournaments and fixtures. We really are spoilt for choice and it is through this medium of squash that so many of us have made some really good friendships. I trust with your continued support of our events, that we will be able to improve and make 2012 an even better squash year for you than last year. I am pleased to announce that Timefreight have agreed to be our Winter League sponsor for the next two years. I am really thrilled to have Timefreight in our court as our sponsor and on behalf of everyone in Midlands Squash I would like to extend our gratitude and appreciation to Etienne Van Ravesteyn of Timefreight for his continued and generous support of squash, not only now but in general over all these years. We look forward to an association that we trust will be mutually beneficial to both of us and that gives Timefreight the exposure they seek. I would also like to thank Dave Surian and Lynwood Squash Club for organising another most enjoyable and successful Jackson Sports Summer League. In the true spirit of why this tournament and Spring League were created, I have enjoyed playing in the team I have been allocated and have had fun with those players. The true spirit being to give people the opportunity to meet, play, support and mix socially with other players that ordinarily one would not do in winter league. The prize giving will be held next week at Lynwood Squash Club on Thursday the 01st March. I would also like to thank Rory Whitfeld for organising another doubles tournament, which is currently being played on Monday nights at the Collegians Squash complex. Whilst squash is primarily a singles games, doubles squash has definitely helped in extending the life of more seasoned squash players, and doubles squash in the Midlands has certainly gained in popularity. Played under the right conditions, particular where the teams are evenly matched, doubles can prove to be as rewarding and in some cases longer in duration than a singles match. There is some good doubles squash being played at the moment, and this like all the other tournaments is creating good camaraderie amongst the players. Rory has advised me that he is wanting to run the inter-club doubles tournament again during the schools second term, so best clubs start canvassing your players, put your teams together and start practicing. Howick Squash Club was the winner of the inaugural tournament last year. At the end of last year we re-vamped our website. I am sure you will all agree that the new look is clean, vibrant and refreshing but above all the information is up to date and informative. Rennisha will be maintaining our website and posting all the latest information so please kindly check it out from time to time. The website address is www.midlandssquash.co.za I would like to thank Stephanie Fryer for her assistance in this regard – it was great appreciated. 24th February 2012 FOR DISTRIBUTION TO ALL CLUB MEMBERS AND DISPLAY ON CLUB NOTICE BOARDS PLEASE!! Your committee as elected at the Annual General Meeting in January had their first committee meeting on Wednesday the 15th February and I can assure you that each and everyone of us is committed to working hard, to providing the Midlands Squash fraternity with a wide host of squash events. A lot is planned again for this year and 2012 promises to be another great year for Midlands Squash. There are not many provinces that offer as much squash throughout the year as we do in the Midlands, especially when one also takes into account the summer and spring league tournaments, not to mention the numerous internally run club tournaments and fixtures. We really are spoilt for choice and it is through this medium of squash that so many of us have made some really good friendships. I trust with your continued support of our events, that we will be able to improve and make 2012 an even better squash year for you than last year. I am pleased to announce that Timefreight have agreed to be our Winter League sponsor for the next two years. I am really thrilled to have Timefreight in our court as our sponsor and on behalf of everyone in Midlands Squash I would like to extend our gratitude and appreciation to Etienne Van Ravesteyn of Timefreight for his continued and generous support of squash, not only now but in general over all these years. We look forward to an association that we trust will be mutually beneficial to both of us and that gives Timefreight the exposure they seek. I would also like to thank Dave Surian and Lynwood Squash Club for organising another most enjoyable and successful Jackson Sports Summer League. In the true spirit of why this tournament and Spring League were created, I have enjoyed playing in the team I have been allocated and have had fun with those players. The true spirit being to give people the opportunity to meet, play, support and mix socially with other players that ordinarily one would not do in winter league. The prize giving will be held next week at Lynwood Squash Club on Thursday the 01st March. I would also like to thank Rory Whitfeld for organising another doubles tournament, which is currently being played on Monday nights at the Collegians Squash complex. Whilst squash is primarily a singles games, doubles squash has definitely helped in extending the life of more seasoned squash players, and doubles squash in the Midlands has certainly gained in popularity. Played under the right conditions, particular where the teams are evenly matched, doubles can prove to be as rewarding and in some cases longer in duration than a singles match. There is some good doubles squash being played at the moment, and this like all the other tournaments is creating good camaraderie amongst the players. Rory has advised me that he is wanting to run the inter-club doubles tournament again during the schools second term, so best clubs start canvassing your players, put your teams together and start practicing. Howick Squash Club was the winner of the inaugural tournament last year. At the end of last year we re-vamped our website. I am sure you will all agree that the new look is clean, vibrant and refreshing but above all the information is up to date and informative. Rennisha will be maintaining our website and posting all the latest information so please kindly check it out from time to time. The website address is www.midlandssquash.co.za I would like to thank Stephanie Fryer for her assistance in this regard – it was great appreciated. REPS MEETING This was held on Monday the 20th February 2012. I am pleased to report that we have maintain the same number of league teams as last year -106 teams in total. All the leagues are full, for the exception of Men’s 9th league, which means those leagues will all enjoy 18 matches, 9 home and 9 away fixtures throughout the season. As men’s 9th league has only 6 teams, the committee has decided that they will play three rounds which will give them 15 matches. As with last year winter league scorecards can either be posted to our box number, placed into the official MSU score boxes, faxed to the MSU office or scanned and emailed to the MSU email address, the details of which are all on our letterhead above. I have stressed the importance when it comes to hosting that teams must take cognisance of everyone’s financial position and to decide amongst themselves what is best for their team, and to convey their decision to the other sides at the start of the season, be it full catering, no catering and everyone pays their own supper or just a drink or two. Obviously whatever your team decides to do will be applied to your team when you travel away. LADDER TOURNAMENT This is for the top 16 men and ladies players in the Midlands and is an opportunity to sort out the ladder positions for 2012. It should also allow players to get fit and motivated over the period of this tournament. Teams to play in the Inter-provincial Jarvis/Kaplan Cup Squash tournament in Pretoria this year, will be chosen from the ladder after completion of the Midlands Championships in May. The tournament started on Wednesday the 22nd February and will be held every Wednesday night until the 14th March at the Collegians Squash complex, starting at 5.30pm each week. The draws have been distributed to the MSU database and I urge you to come and watch some good squash. MASTERS SOCIAL DOUBLES EVENING This very enjoyable event will be held on Friday the 16th March 2012 starting at 5.30pm at Collegians. The cost is only R40 for paid up members and R65 for non-members. Please diarise it now. Bring your own meat for the braai and Midlands Squash will sponsor the balls, lights, charcoal, salads and bread rolls. Please contact Rennisha on 033-3422204 or at info@midlandssquash.co.za should you be a Masters player and wish to participate. Rennisha will also be on hand that night should you wish to pay your 2012 Masters Squash subscription and entry fees, but please remember to bring the duly completed form, as provided at the end of this newsletter. TIMEFREIGHT WINTER LEAGUE The Timefreight Winter League will start on the 17th April and finish on the 27th September 2012. There will be no squash during the week of the Midlands Closed Championships and during the Masters Singles IPT tournament in East London. The prize giving will be held at Collegians Club on the 12th October 2012. Team names and club ladders have to be submitted to the MSU office by the 31st March 2012. The fixtures will be circulated next week and the court usage charts advising us of any problems returned to the MSU office by the 16th March 2012. MARKING CLINIC During the 2012 winter league season, it is a requirement of the MSU that two players from every team entered into winter league must attend a marking clinic in order for that club to gain their team entries into the 2013 winter league. The committee has decided that in an effort to improve marking and refereeing even further, that should two players from each team not only attend a marking clinic but also write and pass the level 2 marking exam, then in such an event that team will not only receive entry into the 2013 winter league season but will pay the same league fees in 2013 as is applicable to the 2012 league. In other words such team or teams will not be subject to the league fee increase for the 2013 season, so best clubs ensure all their players write the level 2 marking exam as this could save them a considerable amount in league fees in 2013. HANDBOOK ADVERTISING We have decided for the third year running to keep our advertising rates the same. The rate is R650 for a full page and only R420 for a half page. Approximately 550 books will be printed and they are used by our players throughout winter league from April to the end of September. Rennisha will be contacting all last year’s handbook advertisers shortly, but I would like to take this opportunity to thank all those sponsors that take adverts in the handbook again this year. We really do appreciate your support as this offsets the cost of having the handbook and scorecards printed. If you would like to support Midlands Squash and take advantage of this wonderful marketing opportunity, please contact Rennisha on 033-3422204 or at info@midlandssquash.co.za REALISE ACADEMIES MIDLANDS CLOSED CHAMPIONSHIPS This will be held from Sunday the 06th May to Thursday the 10th May 2012. As I mentioned earlier there is no league during this week so why not enter and play - who knows you could win a prize? As with last year there will be a men’s A, B & C section and a ladies A & B section. The men’s C section is for Men’s 5th & 6th league players. We would like to try this year and re-introduce a Men's D section again for the lower league players, which will be for players from 7th, 8th and 9th league – we still have in our trophy cabinet a trophy for this section. The entry fee is still to be finalised but you are guaranteed at least 3 games during that week and all the runner up and plate finals will be played at one venue on the Wednesday night, as this will increase the camaraderie amongst the players and sections and will be followed that evening by a braai - bring your own meat and Midlands Squash will provide the charcoal, salads and bread rolls. The men and ladies A & B section finals will be played on the Thursday evening followed by the prize giving for all the sections and a cocktail party. The entry forms will be available soon or please contact Rennisha on 033-342204 or at info@midlandssquash.co.za should you wish to enter. I would also like to thank Richard Knowles of Realise Academies for sponsoring this tournament once again. Richard we really do value your support and interest in squash. Thank you. After this tournament the teams to represent Midlands Squash at the Jarvis/Kaplan Cup Inter Provincial will be chosen based on the Midlands ladder at that time. DEVELOPMENT We have just finished paying for the refurbishment of the squash courts at Alex High School, which is now home to Imbali Squash Club. The MSU decided to contribute to the costs of the KZN Junior Open tournament, despite the fact that KZN Schools squash does not fall under our jurisdiction, but it was felt this tournament went a long way to promoting squash in the Midlands and squash in general at schools level. The KZN Junior Open tournament will see a lot of the top U16 and U19 school boys and girls from throughout the country participating, and will be held over the weekend of the 24th to the 26th February 2012 in Pietermaritzburg. Sally White has sent out a brief email (a report is also in today’s newspaper) of the top players involved and where they will be playing so that you can go and watch some top junior squash. You will not be disappointed and I am sure Sally would appreciate your support. On the 11th February we ran a marking development clinic for previous disadvantaged players and will be conducted another marking development clinic at Protea Squash Club on the 25th February starting at 9am. INTER TOWN SQUASH We are again in conjunction with KZN Squash and KZN Masters Squash holding the Inter Town Squash tournament at Westville Squash courts on Saturday the 24th March 2012, starting at 1pm. You can either play singles or doubles squash and the cost is R20-00 per player which includes court hire, lights, balls and supper afterwards. It really is a fun day and goes a long way to building good relationships between our two provinces. We are looking for 40 players and should you be interested in playing please advise Rennisha on 033-3422204 or at info@midlandssquash.co.za MASTERS SUBSCRIPTIONS Your subscription for 2012 is R250-00 and is now due. This includes the SA Masters Squash levy of R60. This fee is not applicable to our honorary life members. Membership is open to anyone 35 years and older. All masters who pay their 2012 subscription by the 30th April 2012 will be entitled to free entry into the Hilton Masters Spring League should they elect to play. In addition all those Masters who have paid their subs by the 30th April 2012 will receive a free Masters shirt. Please see the subscription form at the end of this letter for payment details and include your shirt size. DAVE SHORT MASTERS INTERPROVINCIAL TOURNAMENT The DSIPT committee had their first meeting for the 2012 tournament last night. This year marks the 25th anniversary of this tournament. We have had a lot of interest from players that did not play last year and have decided to restrict entries to 250 players. The committee has decided to keep the entry fee the same as last year, being only R390-00 for the entire weekend, and which includes three squash matches, a squash shirt, three excellent functions and lots of fun. Due to the Comrades Marathon being a down run on Sunday the 03rd of June and accommodation being a huge problem, the DSIPT committee has decided to stage the tournament a week later and it will now be played in Pietermaritzburg on the weekend of the 8th – 10th of June 2012. We are aware that the SA vs England rugby test will be played in Durban on the Saturday afternoon and this will be incorporated into the tournament as part of the entertainment, as has happened with other rugby test matches in previous years. Midlands will again be entering their own teams. Please enter as an individual and you will be placed into a team according to your ability. Entries close on the 20th of April 2012. Should you wish to play please advise Rennisha on 033-3422204 or at info@midlandssquash.co.za MASTERS SINGLES INTERPROV This tournament will take place in East London from the 07th – 13th September 2012, including travelling time. We are asking for a deposit of R750-00 to cover the entry fee and this must be paid by the 30 April 2012 in order to comply with the organizer’s deadlines. Accommodation has already been provisionally booked at the Garden Court Hotel on the beach front. For more details or should you wish to play please advise Rennisha on 033-3422204 or at info@midlandssquash.co.za or speak to the convenor Gail Howes. A social evening and braai for all those playing in the Singles and Doubles IPT’s will be held on Friday, the 17th August 2012 at Collegians. Bring your own meat for the braai and Midlands Squash will sponsor the balls, lights, charcoal, salads and bread rolls. The entry fee is R40-00 for paid up members and R65-00 for non members. MASTERS DOUBLES INTERPROV This takes place in Eastern Gauteng from the 07th – 11th November 2012, including travelling time. The deposit is R600-00 and must be paid by the 30 June 2012. We have provisional booked rooms at the Birchwood Hotel. Should you be interested in playing please advise Rennisha on 033-3422204 or at info@midlandssquash.co.za MASTERS SPRING LEAGUE This tournament was hugely popular in 2011 and we are expecting more players will be interested in playing this year. First preference will be given in entries to Midlands Masters players that have paid their 2012 masters subscription. This event will be played on a Monday evening at the Hilton College squash courts, starting on Monday the 15th October and ending on the 09th November 2012. We will have the after match socializing at the courts where food and drinks will be available. The entry fee will be free for paid up Midlands Masters members who elect to play this tournament and R125-00 for non-members. Should you wish to play please advise Rennisha on 033-3422204 or at info@midlandssquash.co.za GENERAL All correspondence and emails to please be sent to the above address on our letterhead. Monies must be deposited into our bank account and your name recorded under the reference. The deposit slip and duly completed form attached to this newsletter must be faxed to the MSU office on 0865432954 or scanned and emailed to info@midlandssquash.co.za Our banking details are as follows: Name: MIDLANDS SQUASH UNION Bank: NEDBANK Branch Code: 134025 (HAYFIELDS) Account Number: 1340539993 Reference: YOUR NAME + BRIEF ANNOTATION We look forward to your participation in our tournaments, or failing which it would be great to see you supporting and watching Midlands Squash at these events. Yours in Squash Mike Short Chairman - Midlands Squash Union P.S - Please see the Masters Subscription form below. REPS MEETING This was held on Monday the 20th February 2012. I am pleased to report that we have maintain the same number of league teams as last year -106 teams in total. All the leagues are full, for the exception of Men’s 9th league, which means those leagues will all enjoy 18 matches, 9 home and 9 away fixtures throughout the season. As men’s 9th league has only 6 teams, the committee has decided that they will play three rounds which will give them 15 matches. As with last year winter league scorecards can either be posted to our box number, placed into the official MSU score boxes, faxed to the MSU office or scanned and emailed to the MSU email address, the details of which are all on our letterhead above. I have stressed the importance when it comes to hosting that teams must take cognisance of everyone’s financial position and to decide amongst themselves what is best for their team, and to convey their decision to the other sides at the start of the season, be it full catering, no catering and everyone pays their own supper or just a drink or two. Obviously whatever your team decides to do will be applied to your team when you travel away. LADDER TOURNAMENT This is for the top 16 men and ladies players in the Midlands and is an opportunity to sort out the ladder positions for 2012. It should also allow players to get fit and motivated over the period of this tournament. Teams to play in the Inter-provincial Jarvis/Kaplan Cup Squash tournament in Pretoria this year, will be chosen from the ladder after completion of the Midlands Championships in May. The tournament started on Wednesday the 22nd February and will be held every Wednesday night until the 14th March at the Collegians Squash complex, starting at 5.30pm each week. The draws have been distributed to the MSU database and I urge you to come and watch some good squash. MASTERS SOCIAL DOUBLES EVENING This very enjoyable event will be held on Friday the 16th March 2012 starting at 5.30pm at Collegians. The cost is only R40 for paid up members and R65 for non-members. Please diarise it now. Bring your own meat for the braai and Midlands Squash will sponsor the balls, lights, charcoal, salads and bread rolls. Please contact Rennisha on 033-3422204 or at info@midlandssquash.co.za should you be a Masters player and wish to participate. Rennisha will also be on hand that night should you wish to pay your 2012 Masters Squash subscription and entry fees, but please remember to bring the duly completed form, as provided at the end of this newsletter. TIMEFREIGHT WINTER LEAGUE The Timefreight Winter League will start on the 17th April and finish on the 27th September 2012. There will be no squash during the week of the Midlands Closed Championships and during the Masters Singles IPT tournament in East London. The prize giving will be held at Collegians Club on the 12th October 2012. Team names and club ladders have to be submitted to the MSU office by the 31st March 2012. The fixtures will be circulated next week and the court usage charts advising us of any problems returned to the MSU office by the 16th March 2012. MARKING CLINIC During the 2012 winter league season, it is a requirement of the MSU that two players from every team entered into winter league must attend a marking clinic in order for that club to gain their team entries into the 2013 winter league. The committee has decided that in an effort to improve marking and refereeing even further, that should two players from each team not only attend a marking clinic but also write and pass the level 2 marking exam, then in such an event that team will not only receive entry into the 2013 winter league season but will pay the same league fees in 2013 as is applicable to the 2012 league. In other words such team or teams will not be subject to the league fee increase for the 2013 season, so best clubs ensure all their players write the level 2 marking exam as this could save them a considerable amount in league fees in 2013. HANDBOOK ADVERTISING We have decided for the third year running to keep our advertising rates the same. The rate is R650 for a full page and only R420 for a half page. Approximately 550 books will be printed and they are used by our players throughout winter league from April to the end of September. Rennisha will be contacting all last year’s handbook advertisers shortly, but I would like to take this opportunity to thank all those sponsors that take adverts in the handbook again this year. We really do appreciate your support as this offsets the cost of having the handbook and scorecards printed. If you would like to support Midlands Squash and take advantage of this wonderful marketing opportunity, please contact Rennisha on 033-3422204 or at info@midlandssquash.co.za REALISE ACADEMIES MIDLANDS CLOSED CHAMPIONSHIPS This will be held from Sunday the 06th May to Thursday the 10th May 2012. As I mentioned earlier there is no league during this week so why not enter and play - who knows you could win a prize? As with last year there will be a men’s A, B & C section and a ladies A & B section. The men’s C section is for Men’s 5th & 6th league players. We would like to try this year and re-introduce a Men's D section again for the lower league players, which will be for players from 7th, 8th and 9th league – we still have in our trophy cabinet a trophy for this section. The entry fee is still to be finalised but you are guaranteed at least 3 games during that week and all the runner up and plate finals will be played at one venue on the Wednesday night, as this will increase the camaraderie amongst the players and sections and will be followed that evening by a braai - bring your own meat and Midlands Squash will provide the charcoal, salads and bread rolls. The men and ladies A & B section finals will be played on the Thursday evening followed by the prize giving for all the sections and a cocktail party. The entry forms will be available soon or please contact Rennisha on 033-342204 or at info@midlandssquash.co.za should you wish to enter. I would also like to thank Richard Knowles of Realise Academies for sponsoring this tournament once again. Richard we really do value your support and interest in squash. Thank you. After this tournament the teams to represent Midlands Squash at the Jarvis/Kaplan Cup Inter Provincial will be chosen based on the Midlands ladder at that time. DEVELOPMENT We have just finished paying for the refurbishment of the squash courts at Alex High School, which is now home to Imbali Squash Club. The MSU decided to contribute to the costs of the KZN Junior Open tournament, despite the fact that KZN Schools squash does not fall under our jurisdiction, but it was felt this tournament went a long way to promoting squash in the Midlands and squash in general at schools level. The KZN Junior Open tournament will see a lot of the top U16 and U19 school boys and girls from throughout the country participating, and will be held over the weekend of the 24th to the 26th February 2012 in Pietermaritzburg. Sally White has sent out a brief email (a report is also in today’s newspaper) of the top players involved and where they will be playing so that you can go and watch some top junior squash. You will not be disappointed and I am sure Sally would appreciate your support. On the 11th February we ran a marking development clinic for previous disadvantaged players and will be conducted another marking development clinic at Protea Squash Club on the 25th February starting at 9am. INTER TOWN SQUASH We are again in conjunction with KZN Squash and KZN Masters Squash holding the Inter Town Squash tournament at Westville Squash courts on Saturday the 24th March 2012, starting at 1pm. You can either play singles or doubles squash and the cost is R20-00 per player which includes court hire, lights, balls and supper afterwards. It really is a fun day and goes a long way to building good relationships between our two provinces. We are looking for 40 players and should you be interested in playing please advise Rennisha on 033-3422204 or at info@midlandssquash.co.za MASTERS SUBSCRIPTIONS Your subscription for 2012 is R250-00 and is now due. This includes the SA Masters Squash levy of R60. This fee is not applicable to our honorary life members. Membership is open to anyone 35 years and older. All masters who pay their 2012 subscription by the 30th April 2012 will be entitled to free entry into the Hilton Masters Spring League should they elect to play. In addition all those Masters who have paid their subs by the 30th April 2012 will receive a free Masters shirt. Please see the subscription form at the end of this letter for payment details and include your shirt size. DAVE SHORT MASTERS INTERPROVINCIAL TOURNAMENT The DSIPT committee had their first meeting for the 2012 tournament last night. This year marks the 25th anniversary of this tournament. We have had a lot of interest from players that did not play last year and have decided to restrict entries to 250 players. The committee has decided to keep the entry fee the same as last year, being only R390-00 for the entire weekend, and which includes three squash matches, a squash shirt, three excellent functions and lots of fun. Due to the Comrades Marathon being a down run on Sunday the 03rd of June and accommodation being a huge problem, the DSIPT committee has decided to stage the tournament a week later and it will now be played in Pietermaritzburg on the weekend of the 8th – 10th of June 2012. We are aware that the SA vs England rugby test will be played in Durban on the Saturday afternoon and this will be incorporated into the tournament as part of the entertainment, as has happened with other rugby test matches in previous years. Midlands will again be entering their own teams. Please enter as an individual and you will be placed into a team according to your ability. Entries close on the 20th of April 2012. Should you wish to play please advise Rennisha on 033-3422204 or at info@midlandssquash.co.za MASTERS SINGLES INTERPROV This tournament will take place in East London from the 07th – 13th September 2012, including travelling time. We are asking for a deposit of R750-00 to cover the entry fee and this must be paid by the 30 April 2012 in order to comply with the organizer’s deadlines. Accommodation has already been provisionally booked at the Garden Court Hotel on the beach front. For more details or should you wish to play please advise Rennisha on 033-3422204 or at info@midlandssquash.co.za or speak to the convenor Gail Howes. A social evening and braai for all those playing in the Singles and Doubles IPT’s will be held on Friday, the 17th August 2012 at Collegians. Bring your own meat for the braai and Midlands Squash will sponsor the balls, lights, charcoal, salads and bread rolls. The entry fee is R40-00 for paid up members and R65-00 for non members. MASTERS DOUBLES INTERPROV This takes place in Eastern Gauteng from the 07th – 11th November 2012, including travelling time. The deposit is R600-00 and must be paid by the 30 June 2012. We have provisional booked rooms at the Birchwood Hotel. Should you be interested in playing please advise Rennisha on 033-3422204 or at info@midlandssquash.co.za MASTERS SPRING LEAGUE This tournament was hugely popular in 2011 and we are expecting more players will be interested in playing this year. First preference will be given in entries to Midlands Masters players that have paid their 2012 masters subscription. This event will be played on a Monday evening at the Hilton College squash courts, starting on Monday the 15th October and ending on the 09th November 2012. We will have the after match socializing at the courts where food and drinks will be available. The entry fee will be free for paid up Midlands Masters members who elect to play this tournament and R125-00 for non-members. Should you wish to play please advise Rennisha on 033-3422204 or at info@midlandssquash.co.za GENERAL All correspondence and emails to please be sent to the above address on our letterhead. Monies must be deposited into our bank account and your name recorded under the reference. The deposit slip and duly completed form attached to this newsletter must be faxed to the MSU office on 0865432954 or scanned and emailed to info@midlandssquash.co.za Our banking details are as follows: Name: MIDLANDS SQUASH UNION Bank: NEDBANK Branch Code: 134025 (HAYFIELDS) Account Number: 1340539993 Reference: YOUR NAME + BRIEF ANNOTATION We look forward to your participation in our tournaments, or failing which it would be great to see you supporting and watching Midlands Squash at these events. Yours in Squash Mike Short Chairman - Midlands Squash Union P.S - Please see the Masters Subscription form below. 2011 has undoubtedly been a fantastic year for Midlands Squash. Firstly I would like to thank all the MSU committee members for their tremendous effort and hard work and for giving so freely of their time in the service of squash. They are a remarkable team of administrators, and without their commitment and dedication to squash we would not have achieved so much. I am extremely proud of my committee and it has been a pleasure to have served along side each one of them.
Since my last newsletter a lot has happened in Midlands Squash which I would like to briefly update you on – a more detailed report of the year’s activities will be delivered in my chairman’s report at the MSU AGM. The AGM is scheduled for the 23rd January 2012 at 18h00 at the MSU offices at the Collegians Squash complex. Everyone is most welcome to attend and notice of this will in terms of our constitution be sent out shortly calling for nominations of office bearers. All the members of the 2011 MSU committee have made themselves available for re-election next year. The MSU office will close for the festive season on Thursday the 15th December 2011 and will re-open on Monday the 09th January 2012. I think Rennisha is looking forward to the break and I would like to thank her for her loyal support and the contribution she has made to squash. The acquisition of Rennisha as the secretary of Midlands Squash has proven to be a wise choice and she continues to grow and flourish in this position. She is forever willing to assist where she can and is well liked amongst the Midlands players as she has such a cheerful and pleasant demeanour. I am hoping she will be able to take on even more next year and thus relieve me and other committee members of some more squash work. If you are reading this email from your club’s notice board and would like to receive correspondence/ newsletters directly from the MSU office then please kindly send an email to info@midlandssquash.co.za with your name and squash club and we will gladly add you to the database. Our sincere thanks to Angelos Christodoulou of Accpick for kindly agreeing to sponsor our website again in 2012. Our website address is www.midlandssquash.co.za We sincerely appreciate the support Angelos gives to Midlands Squash. We are currently looking at an electronic format for recording the winter league fixtures directly on our website in future. Briefly it entails the captains of the home side inputting/recording the club names, together with the player’s names and scores of the fixture for that week, and once ratified by the opposing captain, it is then automatically captured and the overall log updated. The system is used in Gauteng, Northerns and KZN Squash. Incidentially KZN Squash have now elected to do away with handbooks as all the fixtures are on their website. If the MSU was to follow in the same footsteps it would save the MSU a great deal on printing costs, postage licence and paper, not to mention time and offers tremendous possibilities for advertising on our website. If we are to introduce this system in 2012 we will continue, for the time being, to have scorecards that can be dropped off in the official MSU post boxes, posted to our box number, faxed to us or scanned and emailed to the MSU office. IAN DIXON It was with great sadness that we heard of the passing of Ian Dixon after a long illness with cancer, an illness he fought with such courage and determination. Ian had dedicated his life to the service of squash and leaves behind a legacy in the squash museum he had the vision to create and establish. Ian’s funeral was well attended and testimony to the wonderful man and friend he was to so many squash players. Our sincere condolences to June, Lesley, Gill and all their families. I will miss our chats my friend - rest in peace you “old fart.” DAVE SHORT MASTERS INTERPROVINCIAL TOURNAMENT This tournament took place from the 3 - 5 June 2011. The entry fee was reduced by 25% from the previous year and this resulted in entries increasing from 34 teams to 42 teams this year. We had an additional 4 ladies teams participating from Midlands, South Coast, Easterns and Northerns. We also welcomed back Northern Freestate and Northerns had the biggest entry with 8 teams, one more than they had last year. In total 12 provinces participated. Midlands had two more teams than last year. Despite the reduced entry fee we still managed to make a 100% increase on the profit made from the 2010 tournament. This was a fantastic achievement and my thanks to Gail, Dave, Rob, Andrew and Rennisha for their contribution and hard work in ensuring the success of this tournament. Already we have had enquiries for the 2012 tournament from teams and players that did not participate this year, so we have decided in all probability to restrict the tournament to 250 players. The 2012 tournament will be held a week later due to the Comrades Marathon being held on the first weekend of June. The dates will be the 08th to the 10th June 2012. JARVIS/KAPLAN CUP TEAMS At the Jarvis/Kaplan Cup tournament in East London our Men’s and Ladies team were placed in 4th and 3rd position respectively in the B sections and Midlands once again won the Most Organised Province Award for the second year running. Well done Bugsy. MASTERS SINGLES INTERPROVINCIAL This tournament took place in Port Elizabeth from the 2 - 8 September 2011. 800 players in total participated. We took 4 men’s teams and 2 ladies teams, one more men's side than last year. Our congratulations are extended to our ladies 45B team (Linda Widlake, Cathy Jackson, Janine Talbot, Debbie Ralfe and Wendy Hoffman) on winning their section. It really was a most enjoyable tournament and our thanks to Gail Howes on putting this all together so magnificently as always. Yours truly was awarded the Leo Melville Memorial Award - an award for someone who in the opinion of the selection committee has significantly contributed to the development, growth and enjoyment of Squash in South Africa. A collage of photos from the tournament is on display in the foyer outside the MSU office. MASTERS IPT SOCIAL Prior to departing for the Masters Singles IPT, a Masters social evening and braai for all those playing in the Masters Singles and Doubles IPT’s was held on Friday, the 19th August at Collegians. We had 29 players participate and it was a most enjoyable evening of squash, with great camaraderie amongst fellow touring players. MEDI CLINIC WINTER LEAGUE The winter league prize giving was held at Lynwood Squash on Friday 14th October. It really was a fitting end to the season and our congratulations are extended to all the winning teams. All the trophies have been sent for engraving of all the 2011 winners names. We had about 170 players in attendance and the décor and food was outstanding. In particular I would like to thank Cathy Jackson, Andy and Kelly Bone and Sandy Pieters for all their hard work in ensuring the success of the evening. A lovely atmosphere prevailed and was a wonderful occasion to acknowledge yet sadly bring down the curtain on over a decade of support and sponsorship from Medi Clinic. We presented them with a stunning piece of art from Andy Bone which we hope will take its proud place in the boardroom or reception of Medi Clinic. It was also an occasion to acknowledge the input made by past administrators for years of service to Midlands Squash and certificates were presented to Sharon Potgieter, Garth Douglas, Graham Rusk and a special mention of Warwick Weedon for 25 years service to Midlands Squash – he richly deserved his standing ovation. Our congratulations also to the following prize winners for 2011: Most Improved Female Squash Player – Kerry Koller Most Improved Male Squash Player – Ryan Neumann Club of the Year – Collegians Squash Club Ian Dixon Award for Service to Squash – Mike Short Gill Weedon Award for the Best Overall Performance by a Club – Greytown. Squash SA Honors Award – Ravi Govender and Bongani Khumalo. A collage of photographs from the evening is also on display in the foyer outside the MSU office. DURBAN LEAGUE Our Midlands ladies team are to be commended on winning the Durban Ladies 1st league. In addition they won the award for the best overall performance by any team in all the Ladies leagues. MASTERS DOUBLES INTERPROV This took place in Durban from the 9 - 12 November 2011. We had a record number, a total of 38 players participate. It too was a most enjoyable tournament although the prize giving was a little long and tedious. My thanks are extended to Trevor Fryer for spearheading the organisation of this event, together with his committee of Cathy, Gail, Andy and Rory – well done everyone. MASTERS SPRING LEAGUE This tournament was a resounding success and thoroughly enjoyed by everyone who participated. We introduced a doubles component to each team which saw entries increase from 60 to 72 players. It was held every Monday night from the 24th October to 28th November 2011 at the Hilton College squash courts. The MSU ran the bar and I would like to thank Greg Walters for assisting in this regard and also to thank Angelos Christodoulou for providing a superb meal each week at what I think is a very affordable and reasonable price. As I mentioned earlier Angelos is always only too happy to assist us where he can and has got this catering down to a fine art, and I firmly believe this tournament would not be the same were it not for his input and contribution. It was therefore only fitting that Angelos be awarded the Bert Rice Memorial Award for service to Masters Squash. Congratulations Angelos. We had 68 players attend the prize giving dinner in the cricket pavilion at Hilton College, which Midlands Squash subsidised – a jovial spirit prevailed amongst all the players and already it seems there is going to be a greater demand for entries next year. Preference will be given to those members that have paid their Masters subscription for 2012. All this would not have been possible were it not for the huge effort Cathy Jackson put in to ensuring everyone had fun and enjoyed themselves. It really was a showcase for Masters Squash so well done Cathy. REPS MEETING - 2012 This will be held on Monday the 20th February 2012 at 18h00 at the MSU offices at the Collegians Squash complex. League entry forms for 2012 will be sent out next year on the 09th January 2012 and will be required to be returned to the MSU office by Friday the 10th February 2012. The deadline for player clearance certificates is the 31st January 2012. MARKING CLINIC In 2012 two players from every league team entered into the 2012 winter league must attend a marking clinic in order for your club to gain entry of such teams into the 2013 season. Craig Sadler in conjunction with Squash SA is in the process of organising a marking clinic for Monday the 27th February 2012. More details will follow shortly. Craig Sadler is to be congratulated on receiving his national colours for marking and refereeing and being invited to attend the World Squash Marking and Refereeing Conference in Germany in August this year. SCHOOLS At schools level 2011 saw Epworth School winning the girls section of the SA Top Schools tournament for the 18th time out of 27 appearances – a remarkable achievement. Of the 6 KZN Schools boy’s teams selected to play in the Schools Inter - Provincial tournaments, 16 boys were from Pmb, whilst of the 6 KZN Schools girls teams all but one was from Pmb. Our congratulations are extended to Daniel Smith, Jonno Esteves, Julie Lee, Cayleigh Conradie and Nadia Ramchandra on obtaining SA Schools rankings in their relevant age groups and a special mention of Julie Lee who was selected to represent South Africa at the World Junior Squash Championships in the USA in July. Incidentally Midlands Squash paid out nearly R20000-00 in junior player assistance, sponsorship of Imbali within our league, not to mention another R14000-00 received from the Department of Sport and Recreation for development programmes at Imbali and Protea Squash Clubs this year. Imbali Squash Club have found a new home at the Alex High School squash courts and at the beginning of 2012 the courts walls will be cleaned, the floors lightly sanded and all the light tubes and fittings repaired. We are hoping that Summer League will use these courts and Bongani Khumalo is to be congratulated for his vision, dedication to the upliftment and continued coaching of previous disadvantaged pupils and for securing this facility. Midlands Squash continues to support the development and promotion of squash wherever we are able to. GENERAL I am pleased to report that Richard Knowles has agreed to sponsor the Midlands Champs again next year. We are currently looking for a sponsor for the winter league and are in the process of approaching some potential sponsors but should you or your company be interested then please contact the MSU office on 033-3422204. The Masters Singles IPT will be held in East London next year, the Masters Doubles IPT in Eastern Gauteng and Jarvis/Kaplan Cup in Pretoria. All the dates will be ratified at the Reps meeting before being distributed to everyone. Finally I would like to thank all the squash players from the Midlands Squash fraternity for your continued support and participation in our tournaments etc. It is you the players that makes this all worthwhile and contributes to make the game of squash that we all so love so great. May I take this opportunity to wish you all a blessed Christmas with family and friends and a Happy New Year. I look forward to seeing you all next year at the start of the season with Summer League starting on Thursday the 19th January 2012. Yours in Squash Mike Short Chairman - Midlands Squash Union |